THE GALAXY EXPRESS

Lyrical Press's "Advance Contest" Plus Dragonfairy Press Open For Submissions

2012-01-26T18:00:00.001-05:00

Via Dear Author, I learned about Lyrical Press's Advance Contest:

Lyrical is ringing in the new year with a contest! Beginning January 15, Lyrical is accepting submissions (synopsis and full manuscript – following usual submissions criteria found on the website). The editorial department will review the entrants and choose the winners. Entries accepted until February 5 and winners announced around March 12.
Prizes are:
1st prize—a contract and $200 advance (100 payable on contract and 100 payable upon publication)
2nd prize—contract and $100 advance (50 payable on contract and 50 upon publication)
3rd prize – likely multiple – critiques of partial manuscript and synopsis by Lyrical editors.
Categories: Contemporary Romance; Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance, Steampunk with Romantic Elements and Erotica (all genres). They are looking for all heat levels and romance with the exception of Steampunk (romantic elements) and Erotica.
Deadline: January 15 - March 12 2012
Send all submissions to: contest@lyricalpress.com
There is no entry fee. It does mean that Lyrical can choose not to read/judge an entry based on whether it fits Lyrical’s lines and level of writing.

Isn't it cool that they'll consider all heat levels? Hurry, though, the deadline is fast approaching. Submission guidelines are here.

Lyrical Press released Manda Benson's MOONSTEED and Ophidia Cox's THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW, both of which I enjoyed. It's also the home of Pippa Jay's forthcoming science fiction romance, KEIR, which I'm looking forward to reading.

***

Another home for your sci-fi romance could be Dragonfairy Press. Via Erotic Romance Publishers, I learned that Dragonfairy is seeking "...manuscripts that stretch beyond the world as we know it. That means fantasy and science fiction, including their various subgenres (e.g., urban fantasy, paranormal romance/erotica, cyberpunk, supernatural horror)." Submission guidelines are here.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

An Interview With "Celestial Seduction" Author Jessica E. Subject, Plus Giveaway

2012-01-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Decadent Publishing is currently hosting a Speculative Fiction Blog Tour. In light of the event, it was a great opportunity to interview Jessica E.Subject, an author who debuted with a sci-fi romance short story called “Celestial Seduction” in June 2011. Since then, she’s been on a cosmic roll, having since contracted three more stories in the subgenre. Woo-hoo!

To refresh your memory, here’s the story blurb:

At the end of his obligated commitment to the Space Service, Frey Berger decides to stay on Earth to further experience human emotions rather than return to Ginnun where his intended has already mated with another. Looking for real love and someone to accept him for what he is, Frey enlists in Madame Evangeline’s popular dating service. Although he does not understand the concept of a one-night stand, he hopes to find his perfect mate. If he fails, he risks being alone on Earth for the rest of his life.

Carrie Cooper’s husband divorced her for another woman who could provide him with children, leaving her with little self-confidence and no desire to let a man hurt her again. When her best friend convinces her to join a dating service, Carrie decides one night of passion is harmless since there’s no commitment after the night is over.

Although several misunderstandings nearly derail them before the date even begins, Frey and Carrie end up closer than they ever believed possible. Still, Frey needs to convince Carrie her perfect mate isn’t human at all, and that one night can lead to a forever love.

“Celestial Seduction” is a highly romantic tale (i.e., cue the warm and fuzzies!). Frey and Carrie are very likeable and grounded despite the extraordinary circumstances. The author packed a lot of plot into the story, a feat which is often a challenge with shorts.

Frey has a distinct "Other" quality and even though I thought that Carrie seemed to accept his alien nature awfully quick (romance short story shortcut?), I interpreted her behavior as social commentary about the importance of accepting people at first glance no matter how different they look. She's totally non-prejudiced and we could certainly use a lot more people like her in the real world.

“Celestial Seduction” is a very hopeful tale and of course, since it’s from Decadent Publishing’s 1-Night Stand series, Frey and Carrie enjoy some hawt sex. Click here to read an excerpt.

Speaking of the 1-Night Stand series, it’s among the subjects (!) I asked Jessica E. Subject about in my interview with her, which starts…now!

The Galaxy Express: Please tell us about Decadent Publishing’s 1-Night Stand Series. What kinds of stories can readers expect?

Jessica E. Subject: The 1 Night Stand line from Decadent Publishing is a collection of stories by multiple authors. Madame Evangeline, the owner of the illustrious 1 Night Stand dating service matches couples (and sometimes more) from all walks of life, including paranormals and aliens, for one night of happiness. With Madame Evangeline’s magical matchmaking abilities, one night often leads to something more. For more information, visit the blog: http://decadent1nightstand.blogspot.com/

TGE: “Celestial Seduction” struck me as having a theme of unconditional love and acceptance. What compelled you to write about this theme or any others using the lens of science fiction romance?

JES: I can’t say anything in particular compelled me to write in the theme of unconditional love except my own personal beliefs. Every story I’ve written thus far deals with this matter, whether my characters are aliens, clones, have alopecia, or burns all over their face. I just don’t think love is restricted to a perfect-looking male and female. I do present these beliefs under the lens of science fiction, but here on Earth, my beliefs cover race, creed, and sexual orientation. We can’t help who we fall in love with. BUT, love does not include harming others. My beliefs do have limits.

TGE: Describe your heroine Carrie in three words.

JES: Caring, dedicated, reserved

TGE: Does Frey, the hero, wear boxers, briefs, or something else altogether?

JES: Great question! LOL When in his human form, he wears boxer briefs. When he’s able to discard the human image, he prefers to be free. ;)

TGE: Who is your favorite sexy alien?

JES: Superman. No doubt about it. He’s been my favorite alien and superhero for as long as I can remember. Yes, I would fantasize about being rescued by Superman, and I am lucky enough to have found my very own here on Earth.

TGE: Please describe a few of your favorite science fiction romance books, films, and/or television shows.

JES: Wow, I could go on forever here. For books, I love Gini Koch’s Kitty Kat series. Each book takes me through a range of emotions, from laughing to sobbing. And that’s what I love in a book. I also recommend the futuristic In Death series by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). For television shows, I can’t say I watch a lot. Used to watch Smallville and Star Trek, though. In movies, there are so many. Avatar, Contact, Independence Day, Men In Black, Star Wars… The biggest thing for me is that I need more than just a story about aliens coming to Earth or the other way around. I need an emotional connection. I need to know the characters in order to enjoy the story.

TGE: What else can readers look forward to from you?

JES: Besides Celestial Seduction, I also have two other short stories as part of the 1 Night Stand series. Beneath the Starry Sky is a contemporary romance, and Unknown Futures is an F/F science fiction romance. All three of them are interconnected.

Never Gonna Let You Go is a science fiction/dystopian romance story which releases January 31 from Decadent Publishing and is the first of The Underground trilogy.

My first novel, The Zurian Child, will be released with Silver Publishing this year, and is the first in my Mark of the Stars series.

I have more projects on the go as well, but nothing confirmed as of yet.

Thank you so much for hosting me today, Heather!

**

Ms. Subject, thanks so much for your time, and for your art.

About the author:

Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

Website/Blog: http://www.markofthestars.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jsubject

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject

Google +: https://plus.google.com/100079570422204018357/posts

GIVEAWAY

Jessica E. Subject has donated an ebook copy of “Celestial Seduction” as well as some book swag (magnets, tote bag, pen & more) for one lucky Galaxy Express passenger. Contest is international. Just leave a comment for your chance to win.

The contest ends January 29, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner chooses from the following formats: PDF, EPUB, LIT, PRC or HTML

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Cover Reveal: THE WATCHMAKER'S LADY

2012-01-24T20:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to share the cover for my forthcoming erotic clockpunk romance, THE WATCHMAKER'S LADY (Clockpunk Trilogy #1):

Cover design by Lyn Taylor

I do believe the stars were aligned as this cover was born! It truly was a case of synchronicity because cover designer Lyn Taylor included elements that foreshadow some of the story's content. I had the fortune of contributing input, but only did so in a broad way. Ms. Taylor pulled it all together and came up with a design that is a strong representation of the story.

Notice the cover's focus on the heroine. I know the trend is for hot man titty covers, so I especially appreciate Red Sage's support for a cover that spotlights this story's extraordinary heroine. (And the fact that she resembles Angelina Jolie has got to be a bonus, LOL!) The clockpunk elements are front and center and also help convey the sensuality of the romance.

Those are my thoughts. What do you think about this cover?

Story blurb for THE WATCHMAKER'S LADY (April 2012):

Matthew Goddard is a lonely watchmaker in 1840 New England. One fateful day, he discovers the lover of his dreams in a dusty corner of the local general store—Isabel, a bisque porcelain mannequin head with mesmerizing, smoky blue eyes. When Matthew invites her to come live with him, she eagerly “accepts.”

The couple embarks on a lust-filled affair, one fueled by Matthew’s wild imagination. In order to provide Isabel with a brass body and pretty clothes, he begins a secret side business selling clockwork sex toys to his wealthy female customers.

Danger, however, threatens their idyllic romance when a disgruntled customer exposes Matthew’s forbidden business to the townspeople. Despite the growing menace, Matthew will stop at nothing in order to save his soul mate—and protect their love.

***

Thanks for being here to share this with me!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Release Day Fun: Yolanda Sfetsos's CLASH Giveaway

2012-01-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Yolanda Sfetsos has a new science fiction romance out today, and it's called CLASH (Samhain Publishing). To help celebrate the release, I have a double giveaway for you: The author has donated copies of her ebooks WITHER (Book 1) and CLASH (Book 2) for one lucky passenger!

Contest details are below. First, here's the story description for CLASH:

When revenge, secrets and lust collide, there can only be chaos.

Recast, Book 2

Jenks Maine is dead, but the devastating effects forcing Recast to fight in the arena goes on. Half-Recast Ace Abu is determined to put a stop to it. All he needs is to get to the planet Fray, locate the concealed Clash Arena, and destroy it. But first he has to cross half the galaxy before the sound and smell of his partners’ nonstop lovemaking drives him mad.

By the time he parks himself on a barstool in the town of Grit, he’s more than ready for a few beers. Except the sexy singer on stage is only making him—and his inner beast—burn hotter.

Ely’Shea longs for the freedom Jenks stole from her. She’s his right-hand woman, but when the boss is away she steps out of her enforcer role and ducks into a remote bar to indulge her passion: singing onstage. The night she catches a glimpse of an alluring cowboy in the audience, he ignites a spark inside her she never thought she’d feel again.

Unable to resist temptation, they’re consumed by passion…but once the fuses are set, their deepest personal secrets could blow any chance of forever all to hell.

***

If you'd like to be entered into the contest, Yolanda Sfetsos has a question for you:

"Would you prefer to be stranded on a spaceship with a sexy space cowboy... or with a sexy shifter? Most importantly, why?"

The winner can choose from the following formats: PDF, Mobi, ePub, rb, imp, HTML, and PDF Sony. The deadline to enter is at midnight EST on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

3...2...1...Go!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Blogging At Heroes & Heartbreakers

2012-01-21T19:52:00.000-05:00

I have a new post up at Heroes and Heartbreakers: Androids Have Delicious Despair Moments, Too: Alpha by Catherine Asaro.

The focus is on a pivotal moment in the book that yields delicious despair for the reader. I invite you to share it with me; however, if you haven't read ALPHA, but plan to, then please be aware that there are some spoilers. I didn't give away the ending or anything, but I did describe a key scene. If you have read it, then I hope you'll have fun re-experiencing that moment!

I knew I'd have to re-read ALPHA to research it for this post. Frankly, I had such a thrilling experience the first time that I was a bit worried the story wouldn't be as good the second time around. Fortunately, the opposite was true. I enjoyed the book as much as--if not more than--the first time I read it.

I recommend ALPHA if you're a fan of anti-heroines, androids, May-December romances, seasoned military heroes, fighter jets, nanotechnology, cyberpunk elements, high-tech weapons, and near-future suspense stories. It's all in there!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Grand Central Publishing Launches Digital-First Romance Imprint

2012-01-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

Via Dear Author (via the press release):

Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced today that it will launch Forever Yours, a new digital imprint, in February 2012. The imprint will publish two to four e-book titles a month, featuring both new, original works and classic romance titles from Forever’s rich backlist. Jamie Raab, Executive Vice President and Publisher, and Beth de Guzman, Vice President and Paperback Editor-in-Chief, made the announcement.

The first two e-books on the list are EMBER by Kristen Callihan, a gothic historical romance prequel to the author’s debut novel,Firelight; and ONCE UPON A WICKED NIGHT by Jennifer Haymore, a historical romance novella set in the world of the author’s bestselling Donovan series.

Amy Pierpont, Editorial Director, Forever, will oversee and direct the imprint. “With the growth of the e-book market, and the success of romance e-books, which always top the e-book bestseller charts, this is a tremendous opportunity for authors and readers,” said Pierpont. “We are excited to discover new voices in romance, and introduce readers to an exciting array of stories across all genres—contemporary, historical, and paranormal.”

Forever Yours will be accepting submissions from agented and unagented authors alike, and publishing short-form novellas (10,000 to 50,000 words) as well as longer length novels (up to 100,000 words). Submissions can be sent toforeveryours@hbgusa.com.

I hope that by "paranormal" they also mean science fiction romance! Good luck to anyone who submits, and please do let me know if you succeed!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Space War Sci-Fi Romances: The List

2012-01-19T20:53:00.002-05:00

A little green space alien grabbed my ear and said it would be fun to crowdsource a list of science fiction romance books that take place before, during, or after an intergalactic/interplanetary war. Who am I to argue?!

What actually prompted this post was my thought that despite the popularity of STAR WARS and other similar fare, not every science fiction romance puts its hero and heroine smack dab in the middle of a space war. Some stories focus on the political unrest leading up to a war; others take place during a war; while yet others occur shortly after a war has ended (but the peace is usually a shaky one).

I can understand the choice to set a story or a series before or after a war. It can narrow the scope and allow for a tighter focus on the romance. Intergalactic wars, on the other hand, can be sprawling, messy affairs (so I’ve heard) and finding a good balance between the romance and the action-adventure/political elements has got to be challenging (especially since shorter stories seems to be the default for ebooks currently). And I’m hard pressed to choose among the many possibilities I’d like to read regarding a wartime sci-fi romance—I want ‘em all!

Anyway, I came up with a short list to get us started. It’s based on books I’ve read or books I know about that feature the space war element in a significant way. There are many sci-fi romances with a space opera setting, so apologies in advance if I overlooked an obvious title or two (but hopefully not three, heh!).

If you'd like to suggest titles, I’ll add them to the list!

Pre-war

PRIMARY INVERSION (Catherine Asaro)
ENEMY WITHIN and ENEMY GAMES by Marcella Burnard
Lauren Dane’s Federation Chronicles
Linnea Sinclair’s Dock Five series
GAMES OF COMMAND (Linnea Sinclair)

Wartime

Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series
WAR GAMES (KS Augustin)
SHARDS OF HONOR (Lois McMaster Bujold)
Pauline B. Jones's Project Universe series
QUEENIE’S BRIGADE (Heather Massey)
Anne McCaffrey's Freedom series
R.M. Meluch's Myriad series
DUTY AND DEVOTION (A.R. Norris)
TAKEN TO THE LIMIT (Nico Rosso)
FINDERS KEEPERS (Linnea Sinclair)
ENDLESS BLUE (Wen Spencer)

Post-war

MOONSTRUCK (Susan Grant)
THE WARLORD’S DAUGHTER (Susan Grant)

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Hanging Out At SF Signal's Mind Meld

2012-01-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

SF Signal's latest Mind Meld tackles the topic of Current Politics in SF/F. The question: "How should SF writers respond to the politics of their time, if at all?"

I contributed an answer and the panel also includes esteemed participants Paul Graham Raven, Rachel Swirsky, Peter Watts, and Chris N. Brown.

I invite you to visit and share your thoughts on the issue!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The Nerd Hero, Kick-Butt Heroine Dynamic

2012-01-17T19:38:00.000-05:00

Author Zoë Archer, in a post at the Carina Press blog titled In Praise of Nerd Heroes, describes the hero and heroine of her latest release, the science fiction romance CHAIN REACTION.

What drew my attention in particular was the following part:

Of course, I’m also talking about a romance hero, so my favorite nerd heroes can also kick butt. It wouldn’t quite work if the heroine had to keep bailing him out, would it?

A fascinating question, indeed, and one I’d like to tackle. :)

My first reaction was hmmm, why wouldn’t it work? What if the heroine did keep bailing out the hero? Is such a scenario really that invalid for a sci-fi romance? Assuming a nerd hero partners with the heroine in key ways and is not a placeholder a.k.a. failed hero, what kind of story could successfully feature a kick-butt heroine and a non kick-butt nerd hero?

Let’s turn this dynamic on its head: If a science fiction romance featured a heroine nerd/scientist and a soldier hero, should we then expect that she’ll also be able to kick butt as part of her repertoire? Perhaps sometimes—or at least as often as we expect nerd heroes to have that capability.

Of course we can have SFR nerd heroes and heroines who possess both brains and brawn. Nothing wrong with that. (And I certainly don’t have a beef with Ms. Archer. She did, however, pose a question I just can’t seem to quit!)

However, I think it’s important to remember that there have been plenty of sci-fi romances where the hero does all of the saving or the majority of the saving. It seems to me that plenty of readers support that particular element in many romance subgenres, not just SFR. So why should the reverse be any different?

While I understand that having a hero save the heroine from start to finish provides a popular fantasy (e.g., of the male fantasy lover variety), I also think it should be questioned—especially in a science fiction setting where technology and possibly a progressive culture have leveled the playing field, i.e., created an environment conducive to gender equality.

On occasion, the execution of this fantasy implies that a woman can’t save herself in any way, shape, or form. It also implies that men only qualify as heroes, and by extension, only certain types of heroes. Therefore, I’m concerned that there's a perception that a nerd hero has to engage in physical heroics in order to qualify as a true hero.

Why can’t we imagine and embrace the idea of a heroine saving the hero from start to finish? I’m not saying that all sci-fi romances should skew that way; rather, I like to think of science fiction romance as a place where readers can indulge in all sorts of fantasies.

That, of course, involves taking risks and pushing envelopes (and perhaps taking one for the sci-fi romance team!).

Basically, I don’t want to rule out the idea of a sci-fi romance that successfully pairs a nerd hero with a kick-butt heroine wherein she is entitled to all of the butt kicking since that is her established role.

I’d hate to see such a heroine’s role diminished simply because of the assumption that readers can’t embrace the idea of a non-kick-butt nerd hero. They may be in the minority, but they are out there. The celebration of a nerd hero in all of his non-kick-butt glory is its own type of fantasy, and a great one at that.

For example, in Jeanette Grey’s cyberpunk romance UNACCEPTABLE RISK, the hero Edison either sits in front of a computer or tends to the heroine’s cybernetic enhancements for most of the story. He has a more action-oriented heroic moment during one scene, but not of the Super Supreme Alpha male kick-butt variety. And despite his “behind the scenes” role, I didn’t feel as though he had lost one iota of masculine appeal. He’s a great example of a nerd hero who can do more for the heroine with his brain than with his brawn. I didn’t expect anything different.

The non kick-butt nerd hero fantasy is also why I appealed to PJ Schnyder to write a sci-fi romance featuring the nerd character Boggle from her e-novella HUNTING KAT. Because Boggle is such a fun, unique character, that kind of story would be full of AWESOME.

Now it's your turn: What do you think about the kick-butt heroine and non kick-butt nerd pairing? Agree, disagree, somewhere in-between?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Winner of Jenna McCormick's NO LIMITS

2012-01-16T18:46:00.000-05:00

The winner of Jenna McCormick's NO LIMITS is...Gail Hart!

Congratulations! To claim your digital copy of NO LIMITS, please email me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com (subject line: No Limits) and I will forward your email address to the author.

Thanks very much to everyone who entered, and especially for your enthusiastic participation.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Jacking In To Tag Jeanette Grey's UNACCEPTABLE RISK

2012-01-15T19:48:00.001-05:00

I’m totally jazzed about the fact that I’m starting to get caught up with my TBR pile. While ebooks have a nice long shelf-life, it’s still fun jumping into titles on or shortly after their release dates.

To wrap up my recent foray into cyberpunk romance, I’d like to tag Jeanette Grey's UNACCEPTABLE RISK for you. To refresh your memory, here’s the story description for this e-novella:

She may learn to live for love…if vengeance doesn’t kill her first.

Plix spends her lonely, gritty life trying to solve the mysteries her father left behind. Armed with a variety of cybernetic enhancements and a talent for getting into places she shouldn’t be, she searches for clues to his murder—and who’s responsible for poisoning her city.

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There’s only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix’s burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing—not even the fiery kiss he’s been holding back for years—will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back…and hope one of them doesn’t pay with their lives.

***

Here are my non-spoiler tags, in no particular order:

*Bleak, post-apocalyptic setting; environmental disaster

*Story scope: narrow. UNACCEPTABLE RISK has a narrow scope in that it focuses on a specific time period in Plix’s quest. It felt like the final act in a much larger drama. There are pros and cons to this approach depending on how much worldbuilding you like in your sci-fi romance. Speaking of...

*Worldbuilding: The cyberpunk elements were front and center and played a key role in the story. They were smart but also accessible.

There are only hints of how the general society in this world operates. It felt a little fuzzy to me as I wasn’t sure of the relationship between a cybernetically enhanced person such as Plix (e.g, were there many others like her? Or was she a prototype of sorts?) and general society (e.g., do non-cybernetically enhanced people know about her or others like her? If so, do they accept them or view them as inferior?). However, if you prefer more of a character-driven romance, then that aspect might work in your favor.

*Entire story is told from heroine’s point-of-view

*Heroine is non-traditional for romance in that her body does not resemble a Victoria’s Secret model in any way. Physically, she’s extremely scarred and that detail contributes to the overall gritty feel of this story.

*Highly introspective; low action-adventure quotient; atmospheric

*The maintenance of the cybernetic enhancements is described in all of its gory, glory detail

*Beta hero is a computer expert with a side helping of medical expertise

*Friends-to-lovers romance with lots of angst

*SF-romance ratio: about 60:40 (the story is driven largely by the external plot, plus we don’t get to know too much about Edison beyond his devotion to Plix)

*Corporate villain

*Who saves who: both hero and heroine score heroic moments

*Heat level: non-erotic; low-key sexual tension; sensual

I hope my tags for UNACCEPTABLE RISK enhance your science fiction romance adventures!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Guest Blogging At Babbling About Books, And More!

2012-01-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

I'm jazzed to be participating in the "Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event," which is hosted by Katiebabs at Babbling About Books, and More! My topic is F/F Sci-Fi Romance: The New Frontier and I invite you to join the conversation.

In my piece, I spotlight two books: RULEBREAKER by Cathy Pegau and WAR GAMES by KS Augustin.

Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

An Interview With Jenna McCormick By Diane Dooley, Plus Giveaway

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Diane Dooley: Congratulations on your new release, No Limits. Tell us about its journey to publication.

Jenna McCormick: Thank you! Jenna McCormick is a recent persona. I’m actually published under my non-erotic handle, Jennifer L. Hart. Some of my books are self-published, some are small press published, a few are e-press published. Every book made the rounds with literary agents and editors, but none managed to snag enough interest to take me to the next level. Then in September of 2010, I went on a writing retreat dubbed the Sanibel Word Orgy. This was the first time I’d ever spent so much time around other writers and it helped me to realize I was holding back. That’s why Jenna’s bio reads Born on Sanibel Island, because I really was!

Dooley: No Limits has a plethora (and a diversity, may I say) of hot sex scenes. Which is your personal favorite?

McCormick: Probably the one with Zan, the space pirate. It’s the most emotionally heart-wrenching because Gen and Rhys are having problems and can’t seem to connect and he literally drives her into the arms of another man. In the original draft this event happened behind closed doors, but when I sold to Aphrodisia I was told nothing could happen behind closed doors! Plus, I have a major crush on Zan and tend to play favorites.

Dooley: Do you write from an outline or make it up as you go along?

McCormick: I write an outline and then ignore it! LOL.

Dooley: If I gave you a no limits credit card, where would you be booking your next vacation?

McCormick: Anywhere but here? LOL, seriously, I can have fun anywhere, as long as I have a few friends with me. Big city, cabin in the mountains, cottage on the beach. Just don’t ask me to do laundry and it’ll be a blast!

Dooley: What are the last three books you read?

McCormick: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Reluctant Dom by Tymber Dalton and Second Chances by Lauren Dane.

Dooley: What are your writing goals for 2012?

McCormick: To do more of it! Between the promo for No Limits and the indie publishing I’ve been doing for both personas, I have not been productive enough. I’m planning to spend some serious hours just creating through this year.

Dooley: What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone who is attempting to write for publication?

McCormick: Know what exactly you want in a writing career and then consider the different options to get you there. “For publication” means something very different than it did five years ago.

Dooley: What’s up next for Jenna McCormick?

McCormick: I’ve got the first four months of the year mapped out. January and February are pretty much nonstop promotion and writing. In March I’m teaching an online workshop From Fizzle to Sizzle: Writing love scenes guaranteed to heat up any story.

And in April I’ll be attending the Romantic Times convention in Chicago. After that, well, I need to have some product so lots more writing!

I’ll give away a copy of No Limits to a random commenter who tells me about a self-imposed limit that he or she has broken and the consequences, good or bad. And join me for the No Limits Blog Tour and a chance to win a KINDLE FIRE!

[The deadline to enter the contest is midnight EST on January 15, 2012. Participation required for Kindle Fire contest. For details, click here]

About the story:

All Genevieve Luzon wants is to be loved by one man, a seemingly impossible task in New-New York City at the start of the twenty second century. Sure, she can buy sex as easily as order a pizza on a Friday night, but finding a forever kind of love among her self-centered peers is no easy feat for the unemployed off-world vacation coordinator. When an old friend offers her the position of secret shopper to test out the male prostitutes, Gen can’t think of a good reason to refuse. Hell, if she can’t find Mr. Right, she might as well try on a sampler of Mr. Right Nows.

Yet the perks of her new position don’t compare to the strange attraction she has, not for one of the prostitutes, but a candle that seems to warm places of her she never knew existed. When a man appears out of the flame, Gen is sure she's found the one. Rhys is an empath, made a slave by the Illustra Corporation and he’s everything Gen could ever want. Except available. Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. He must try to free his people, consequences be damned. Now, Gen must choose between turning her back on the only man she’s ever loved and the monumental task he has set for himself. Should she risk her life fighting a war hidden from polite society against those who wish to control us all?
Is love really worth fighting for?

About the author:

A little fantasy goes a long way....

Born on Sanibel Island somewhere between the fifth and seventh bottle of Rosa Regale, Jenna McCormick writes big girl romance with a touch of out of this world fantasy. Her hobbies include scouring the Internet for the perfect pair of boots and stirring up trouble, much to the dismay of her alter ego, mystery writer Jennifer L. Hart. Visit Jenna on the web at ww.authorjennamac.com

(Diane Dooley is an author of science fiction romance and can open a can of tuna, too. Visit her blog Writing, Stuff, and Nonsense.)

Vampires In Spaaaaace! Nina Croft’s BREAK OUT

2012-01-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

Back in September 2011, I blogged about romances that fused SF and paranormal elements. In the comment section, I wrote this:

I was thinking the other day about what a vampire-in-space story would look like. Many stories feature vampires who are hundreds of years old, but as far as a specific title featuring a (non-alien) vampire in a far future setting, with romance, none are coming to mind.

I would definitely check out such a story, but at the same time, I think it'd mess with my mind, LOL! I guess a lot would depend on the execution, and the mindset toward the supernatural in that time period. What kinds of themes could be explored in such a story?

Lo and behold, in December, Marlene Harris, the super librarian behind Reading Reality, tipped me off about Nina Croft's BREAK OUT (Entangled Publishing). This novella features a vampire in space and is the first book in the author’s Blood Hunter series.

Naturally, I had to check it out. I was interested in seeing what an author might do with a supernatural vampire in a futuristic setting. What follows are a few (non-spoiler) thoughts I had about the vampire-in-space component.

Here’s the least you need to know:

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

I went into this story only with the expectation that it deliver a space opera setting, a supernatural-based vampire, and a romance. Because vampire-in-space romances are so rare, I figured the story could go anywhere. It could be action-adventure, I thought, or character-driven, and in terms of tone it could be lighthearted, or full of darkness, violence, and angst.

Tone-wise, BREAK OUT is a lighthearted action-adventure space romp. The focus, as the blurb indicates, is clearly on the fun.

As a vampire living in the far future, Rico has emotional baggage, but he’s not that angst-driven. In fact, he seems to have adjusted fairly well. Given his history, he’s a Friend of Old Earth, so there are Old Earth references and at one point he teaches Skylar and his crew how to play poker (with actual cards--no holographic card deck for him!).

In terms of mythology and the mindset toward vampires, I noticed a couple of things. One, he’s still a myth in that world. Enough time has passed that humanity seems to have finally abandoned its obsession with vampires.:P He’s a known space pirate, but people like Skylar have only heard whispers about his true nature. On the other hand, his crew knows exactly what he is. He bares his fangs a time or two and has glowing eyes.

Rico fits right in with the motley crew since some of them have been genetically modified, resulting in different skin pigment and eyes, for example. The story seemed to convey that he’s only somewhat concerned about hiding his true nature. For example, he wears sunglasses to conceal his eyes (which conceivably be knocked out in a fight), and he has sucked the blood of many lovers, some of which could presumably talk about their experience.

He’s perceived of as a supernatural monster by his crew, but also a safe one who is (mostly) in control of his cravings. I want to say that the story basically conveys the idea that Rico has been considered a monster no matter what time period he inhabits. Beyond that, however, there wasn’t any further social commentary that I could discern (but that didn't seem to be the story's focus, either).

Still, I was curious. Was he tired of hiding or of being hunted? Was he interested in helping to change the perception of those who are different (e.g., genetically modified or immortal from Meridian)? In fact, Rico has the potential to become a real political figure/freedom fighter in this universe. I wouldn’t have minded if the story explored those themes more. Frankly, given the scope, BREAK OUT could easily have been novel-length.

I’m not sure BREAK OUT addressed the “what if?” of a vampire-in-space beyond a few basic worldbuilding elements; however it takes itself seriously enough that I was able to suspend my disbelief. Again, the focus seemed to be on the fun and so early on I adjusted my expectations accordingly.

As far as the romance between Rico and Skylar, it struck me as fairly traditional, which might make BREAK OUT a possible gateway story for paranormal romance fans interested in giving science fiction romance a try.

One element that the blurb doesn’t mention is the role of the “Church of Everlasting Life.” This church opposes the use of Meridian, and they aren’t too keen about vampires, either.

I had mixed feelings abut the church angle. On the one hand, it makes complete sense that a group of people would object to Meridian. On the other hand, I'm not entirely convinced that it had to be a religious group. That felt too recycled to me, that a vampire in the far future would still have to contend with a religious antagonist.

I found myself thinking, gee, it’d be cool if a rival pharmaceutical corporation went after Rico to get his blood and study his body chemistry to see if they could isolate the immortality element—all with the intention of making an immortality drug from it, albeit without the vampire side effects. BREAK OUT seemed to lay the groundwork for that kind of plot point.

Maybe I’m a bit jaded, though, because the vampire-Church conflict is one I’ve already encountered multiple times in the horror genre. Your mileage may vary. And one could easily argue that different kinds of religion will undoubtedly be a part of many cultures for hundreds and even thousands of years to come. So from that perspective, featuring a religious antagonist is a valid approach.

But hey, this is the age of ebooks—authors can take all kinds of approaches! It’s not a question of either or these days. Sweet.

So, would I read another vampire-in-space science fiction romance? Yes, if I felt sure it would have fun not only with the action-adventure elements, but also the skiffy ones. And bring on the social commentary. Why not expand the idea of vampires in space beyond the male fantasy lover trope? (Is it too much to hope for that a heroine could be the vampire?)

For more information about Nina Croft’s Blood Hunter series, Marlene Harris of Reading Reality posted reviews of both BREAK OUT and of DEADLY PUSUIT for your reading pleasure.

And the Kindle edition of BREAK OUT is only 99 cents at Amazon as of this post. Double sweet!

Do you have any expectations for a vampire-in-space romance? Are there certain elements you would like to see included (or excluded) in such a story?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

PERFECT SENSE: An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Romance Film

2012-01-08T18:00:00.001-05:00

I was fooling around at apple.com/trailers yesterday and discovered the trailer for PERFECT SENSE, a film that blends SF and romance. I love stumbling upon sci-fi romances like this!

The film’s tagline is “Without love, there is nothing” and stars Eva Green and Ewan McGregor. It debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and will release in US theaters in February 2012.

Here’s the set up courtesy of a review of the film at DIY:

It is a bizarre mixture of science fiction and romance, set in a near future where a rapidly moving and mysterious plague is gradually robbing the world's population of each of their senses. Epidemiologist Susan (Eva Green) and chef Michael (Ewan McGregor), who both consider themselves immune to love, meet amid the slow disintegration of the world this causes, and despite their cynicism eventually fall in love.

And here’s the official trailer:

The film appears to be highly character-focused. A couple of articles I found described it as “science fiction romance”:

From an interview with director David McKenzie: “Perfect Sense is a science fiction romance…”

From an article about the 2011 Sundance Film Festival: “…Ewan McGregor's science fiction-romance "Perfect Sense."

I also found a Q&A with the director. Here's a snippet:

Q: Were there any films that inspired Perfect Sense?

David MacKenzie: There were three I had in mind when I was trying to work out how to approach the film. One’s a British cult film called Radio On, which is a road movie from the early 80s. It has lot of music in it and was done in a minimalist style. Another was Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville, which is futuristic but has a minimal palette. And the third was a movie by Chris Marker called La Jetée, which maybe more of you have seen. The idea of telling big stories on a small palette was what I was looking for, and ultimately what I was trying to do.

As far as the film's ending, I figure there probably won’t be a traditional kind of HEA—or maybe no HEA at all. Still, my interest is definitely piqued.

Do you have any interest in seeing PERFECT SENSE? If so, will you go to the theater or wait for the DVD/Blu-ray release?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

SFR News & Links: Fairytales, Pitches, and Lesbians

2012-01-07T21:04:00.001-05:00

Ahoy there, space cadets!

Heroes and Heartbreakers initiated a series of posts about fairy tale themes/stories in romances and YA books. Naturally, the first thing that came to my mind were the futuristic fairy tales of Ella Drake, namely JAQ'S HARP and BRAIDED SILK. I invite you to read my spotlight on these books. The post is called Twisted Fairytales Biopunk Theater Presents: Ella Drake's "Future Tales."

In other news, the Great 2012 Pitch Tournament has kicked off at the SFR Brigade. And there's an incentive prize for participation, too:

Everyone is invited to read and vote for your favorite three pitches in each heat. The two pitches with the most votes in each heat will advance to the final round.

If you add a comment to tell the authors what hooked or intrigued you about their pitch, we're offering a *BONUS!* All comments containing feedback in the Pitch Tournament will be entered into a drawing for a $15 Amazon e-Gift Certificate.

At Babbling About Books, and More!, Katiebabs has launched the 2012 Lesbian Fiction Appreciation Event:

Welcome to the first in what will be a 14 day event highlighting the Lesbian genre from the authors who write Lesbian fiction, the publishers who publish it and the bloggers who read it and promote it. Every day leading up to January 21st, there will be at least 2 posts a day promoting the Lesbian genre and why it's so amazing.

I'm scheduled to appear on Saturday, January 14 with a spotlight on two f/f science fiction romances. You can also look forward to posts by authors Cathy Pegau, KS Augustin, and Jessica E. Subject, all of whom have written stories in this category.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

On Forced Seduction In Science Fiction Romance

2012-01-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, a little birdie kindly sent me a print copy of Gennita Low’s VIRTUALLY HERS (2009) to recycle the book. (I lurv going with the green, baby!) I noticed the story had a cyberpunk-military SF combo for the win, so I decided to check it out even though this is the second in a series that begins with VIRTUALLY HIS (2007).

Samhain Publishing describes VIRTUALLY HERS as “Romantic Suspense,” but there are very strong erotic elements as well. Surprisingly, the story begins with lots of worldbuilding and military acronyms. I mean, like wall-to-wall. Okay, so that’s taking a risk and I love a good risk in sci-fi romance, cool beans.

But then…but then…one particular scene of forced seduction came along and I had to put the book down for some serious reflection on what I had just experienced.

Please note that I fully support readers who enjoy a forced seduction fantasy in romance. I've enjoyed a few myself. Ultimately, this post isn't about VIRTUALLY HERS. Rather, my experience with the part of the book I read is a jumping point for me to share my thoughts on the topic of forced seduction in a futuristic/alternate tech-based setting. This story took the forced seduction trope in directions I never anticipated and really made me think about some of the ingredients that go into a successful erotic sci-fi romance.

[Mature content advisory—adults only] [Beware spoilers]

First, the setup:

The heroine, Helen “Hell” Roston, is part of a covert remote viewing experiment run by the military. As “an agent trained to spy remote targets with the mind” (p. 24), she was tapped to fill the position because her telepathic abilities and psychological profile were the strongest of all the candidates.

The hero, COS Commander Jed McNeil, is “an expert in mind-manipulation games” (per the jacket copy) and also Helen's monitor. His job is to enter the virtual world and interpret what she sees. From what I could gather, remote viewing isn’t an exact science. They are both part of “the experiment of synchronizing brainwaves for deep immersive virtual realty.” (p. 32)

The hero decides to initiate virtual sex with Helen in order to help channel her telepathic powers. (I wasn’t clear on whether or not this course of action was officially sanctioned by his superiors.). And to accomplish that, Jed needs to deceive her:

He knew he’d need to prep her mind for his access and to do that, he’d have to gain her trust through trickery. Once couldn’t be direct about it because if she’d known, Helen would have mentally fought against it.(p. 28)

I think that’s a big assumption to make, especially in light of the following knowledge that Jed has about how to leverage the most benefit from remote viewing:

He’d accepted the assignment to create a binding mental awareness between Helen and him, so that it could be the bridge for them as she remote viewed in virtual reality. The easiest and fastest way—seduction. The need for, and the sharing of, sexual release created an emotional bond between couples. Add that with the need for someone specific, and there was now a powerful mental focus. Perfect for remote viewing. Perfect for virtual reality. (p. 45)

If sexual release creates an emotional bond between couples, then why, on page 28, was Jed thinking this: “Seduction of mind and body. He’d done it before without getting too emotionally involved.”? [emphasis mine]

Basically, Jed is given permission to justify the forced seduction (and borderline virtual rape) because it's all done in the name of the mission.

The “hero” does not obtain Helen’s informed consent for the sex. He feels it’s in her best interest to keep her ignorant about his real-life identity because “A strong woman like Helen would have her guard up once she found out his identity.”(p. 34)

Helen does become suspicious and goes looking for her monitor, i.e., Jed using virtual reality (Admittedly, I'm not clear on the motivations of the characters at this point). Jed anticipates her search and during a virtual reality session starts imagining Helen in a swimming pool (underwater) on her hands and knees and secured by chains. The heroine then picks up on this imagery and finds herself in a virtual pool. Soon after, she assumes the position imagined by the hero and experiences the chains. Then she feels someone “straddling” her:

She opened her eyes. She couldn’t move her hands. Or feet. She was chained to the bottom of the pool now, on all fours. She pulled at the iron clasps. A shadow at the periphery of her vision. She tried to turn her head to see but he was already straddling her from behind…

…And Hades [Jed’s avatar] was straddling her, pushing his erection inside her…Trapped on the tiled floor, she couldn’t move… (p. 50)

If I didn't know this was from a romance, I would have thought it was a straight-up rape scene from a thriller. According to Jed, “The sexual fantasy had to be the imprinter in control of the imprintee’s pleasure.” (p.50)

My interpretation of the text is that Jed—a military soldier—had no qualms about deceiving the heroine in this way. I didn’t pick up on any feelings of guilt or regret. It was for the mission, and he received sexual gratification in the process, so as a reader are we supposed to think, yay him? That’s not my understanding of ethical behavior for a military soldier, nor am I convinced that his forced seduction is an effective strategy for the remote viewing program.

I’m not clear on why non-consensual sex is in either Helen's best interest or the mission’s. Plausibility issues aside, if a “powerful mental focus” generated by an “emotional bond” was ideal, why couldn’t Helen and Jed have worked consensually on developing a bond that would lead to them being a great team? In other words, why couldn’t the sexual energy used to fuel the remote viewing have been generated by consensual sex?

I can see the why there's interest in the forced seduction fantasy in a historical romance. In those stories, at least much of the time, religious/political forces exist that suppress a heroine’s sexual freedom. It's a fantasy that some readers enjoy as a way of escaping or processing their own real-life constraints.

However, what VIRTUALLY HERS reinforced for me is that I have doubts about the forced seduction trope being successfully translated to a futuristic/tech based setting *unless* the author specifically creates a world to justify its presence.

To summarize, my personal experience with VIRTUALLY HERS was this:

a) I didn't want and certainly didn’t expect the forced seduction fantasy, especially in an SFR (nothing in the story blurb alerted me to it, unless you count this line: “And the very real sexual chemistry that sizzles between Hell and her trainer is messing with her head even more.”). In that sense, this was a case of reader-story mismatch. Your mileage may vary.

b) Regardless of the hero’s theories, I didn't buy that the heroine was the type to need forced seduction given the near-future feel of the setting. Nothing in the setting informed me that this heroine was sexually repressed and needed "permission" to have and enjoy sex.

c) The setting/plot didn't justify the use of forced seduction for me. The text didn’t offer a compelling reason (to me) why mind manipulation and “seduction of mind and body” were the *only* ways Jed could help Helen boost her remote viewing abilities. Jed used forced seduction for the mission, which in effect invites both the heroine and the reader to condone his behavior.

d) I realized I’m not keen on technology being used as a tool for forced seduction, especially when said technology is being used for the greater good. I questioned the ethics of both Jed’s behavior and the type of military that would condone, even if indirectly, forced seduction during the course of a mission.

VIRTUALLY HERS may offer some readers a desired forced seduction fantasy if you're not too worried about how it meshes with the setting. But for readers who want more than just the fantasy, my hope is that science fiction romance can also be known as a subgenre that offers stories with plausible forced seduction fantasies if authors choose to write them.

We can have it all in science fiction romance, and be smart about it too, y’know?

What are your thoughts about forced seduction in sci-fi romance?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Superhero Romance Power, Activate! Form of: Tags!*

2012-01-03T21:13:00.000-05:00

I’d been craving superhero romances, so after I read two of them recently, I decided to get tag-happy! Below are my impressionistic tags of HEROES WITHOUT, MONSTERS WITHIN by Sheryl Nantus and PHOENIX RISING by Corrina Lawson. Despite falling into the same superhuman category, the two books are very different.

Following each story blurb are my tags (non-spoilers except for one, which I flagged). Your mileage may vary, but I hope the information helps you in your science fiction romance reading journey.

HEROES WITHOUT, MONSTERS WITHIN

by Sheryl Nantus

Fight alone, die alone.

Blaze of Glory, Book 2

In the weeks since Jo “Surf” Tanis and her rough-and-tumble band of super-powered actors broke free of the government-sponsored superhero show, they’re all still dealing with the aftershock of adjusting to this thing called reality.

It doesn’t get much more real than a mission to dig survivors out of what’s left of Erie, PA, after a mysterious earthquake. A trembler that powerful is as out of place as Jo feels as the de-facto leader of the troupe. Not to mention the soul-shaking feelings she has for Hunter, a team member whose past as an Agency Guardian casts a heavy shadow over any possible relationship.

It seems one of the supers, an earth-warper named Ground Pounder, has gone rogue, using his freedom from the Agency’s brand of virtual slavery to put the “villain” back in supervillain. Failure to find him before any more innocent bystanders are hurt means the team could be back under the Agency’s thumb.

It’s a burden that doesn’t rest easy on Jo’s shoulders...especially when the man who’s invaded her heart is caught in the crossfire.

***

HEROES WITHOUT, MONSTERS WITHIN is book two of the author’s Blaze of Glory series, which began with—wait for it—BLAZE OF GLORY. In the first book, readers learn about Jo Tanis’s superhero origins and the development of her superhero league, The Protectors. I strongly recommend that you begin this series with BLAZE OF GLORY. Still, many of the tags below apply to both books.

Genre category: Urban fantasy with romantic elements; superhuman romantic SF; contemporary time period.

Series name: Blaze of Glory

Cast: Features a Justice League/X-Men type group of superheroes and villains, plus support staff

Romance: The romance subplot continues from its inception in BLAZE OF GLORY and focuses on same couple, Jo and Hunter. Jo has a lot of angst over [BLAZE OF GLORY SPOILER ALERT] the death of her former lover, and there’s frequent introspection as she a) tries to come to terms with the loss [END SPOILER ALERT] and b) navigates her burgeoning feelings of affection for her Guardian, Hunter.

Heat level: mild

Heroine or Hero? While both the hero and the heroine have superpowers, the emphasis is on the heroine’s journey. Jo is of the “reluctant hero” variety.

Superhero action sequences: There are several of them. The story is not wall-to-wall action. Instead, the action scenes are interwoven among practical needs such as eating (Jo needs to eat a lot to fuel her power, so prepare for some stomach rumbling of your own as you read this), strategizing, team bonding, the romance, and the mystery of a new villain. In that sense, this story is grounded in a certain level of realism.

Worldbuilding: My general sense is that people develop superhero powers as a result of trauma, an accident, or a life-changing event. The basic premise introduced in the first book is that a government arm known as the “Agency” enslaved superheroes and pitted them against each other in mock gladiator style battles. These battles are televised as entertainment; therefore, the general population knows about the “supers.” During the show, some people were cast as superheroes and others as villains. Still others become Guardians whose job is to train and guide the super in their care.

The books chronicle Jo’s ongoing rebellion against the Agency. Also, one of the threads in HEROES WITHOUT, MONSTERS WITHIN focuses on Jo’s public relations challenges. In other words, supers are a part of everyday life in this world. How much value the general population places on them remains to be seen and is a source of stress and conflict.

Additionally, the story features some geekerific technology.

Tone: Escapist action-adventure; moderate stakes; plenty of humor

PHOENIX RISING

by Corrina Lawson

He was born to be a weapon. For her, he must learn to be a hero.

A Phoenix Institute story

Since birth, Alec Farley has been trained to be a living weapon. His firestarter and telekinetic abilities have been honed to deadly perfection by the Resource, a shadowy anti-terrorist organization—the only family he has ever known. What the Resource didn’t teach him, though, is how to play well with others.

When psychologist Beth Nakamora meets Alec to help him work on his people skills, she’s hit with a double-barreled first impression. He’s hot in more ways than one. And her first instinct is to rescue him from his insular existence.

Her plan to kidnap and deprogram him goes awry when her latent telepathic ability flares, turning Alec’s powers off. Hoping close proximity will reignite his flame, she leads him by the hand through a world he’s never known. And something else flares: Alec’s anger over everything he’s been denied. Especially the passion that melds his mind and body with hers.

The Resource, however, isn’t going to let anything—or anyone—steal its prime investment. Alec needs to be reminded where his loyalties lie…starting with breaking his trust in the woman he’s come to love.

***

Going into PHOENIX RISING I kept thinking of the film FIRESTARTER (1984) starring Drew Barrymore. I remember not caring much for that film despite the intriguing nature of her character. Even so, I still like the idea of a character with fire powers and in that sense, PHOENIX RISING delivers much better. The scenes of Alec using his powers are visually engaging and frequent so you get a real sense of the consequences he has to deal with on a daily basis.

Beth’s psychic powers are on the generic side; however they do end up playing a significant role later in the story. In that sense, Alec and Beth are greater than the sum of their parts.

Genre category: Superhuman sci-fi romance; contemporary time period

Series name: Phoenix Institute

Cast: The core characters are Beth, Alec, their fathers, and Alec’s military team. The terrorist villains are pretty clearly drawn as muhwahaha evil, but other characters have more shades of gray.

Romance: PHOENIX RISING focuses on the romance between Alec and Beth. I would put the romance to external plot ratio at about 50:50 (with an edge to the romance).

The author has contracted a second story in the series with Samhain, and LUMINOUS (May 2012) will feature a new couple.

Heat level: sensual/steamy. The sexual aspects of the romance are integral to the superhero elements.

Heroine or Hero? While Beth has telepathic abilities, the emphasis is on the hero’s journey. Alec’s is a coming of age story.

Superhero action sequences: While the major battles are few, the story offers many intermittent scenes of Alec and Beth using their powers in different situations of varying levels of danger. I would even venture to say that this story had suspense/thriller elements as well.

Worldbuilding: From the beginning, we know that Alec and Beth have superpowers, and one of the characters makes reference to others like them; however the story has a narrow focus on Alec and Beth. That aspect will undoubtedly work for many readers; however, for others the focus might be too narrow.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a clear sense regarding the general relationship between people with powers and people without them. Those who have extraordinary abilities are born with them, but the how and the why of certain people developing powers eluded me.

It seems that the general population is ignorant about Alec and others like him; however certain branches of the U.S. military and CIA know about him (and their power play for his talents form part of the political thread of the story). Therefore, I'm guessing that the series begins by tracking the early evolution of a possible superhero league of sorts.

Tone: serious; high stakes because of the terrorist angle; emphasis on love conquers all

I’d like to touch upon one more topic related to superhero romances, and that is the issue of pop culture superhero references in the stories themselves.

In PHOENIX RISING, Superman is mentioned by one of the characters (Beth, IIRC).

Despite the contemporary setting and references to the television show 24, the film DIE HARD, and the film LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, none of the characters acknowledged the existence of other fictional superheroes like X-MEN or Batman. At one point, the characters shop at Wal-Mart, a place where you can buy lots of superhero action figures! A scene of Alec perusing the toy shelves and contemplating the creation of his own action figure would have been interesting.

Even though the world of HEROES WITHIN, MONSTERS WITHOUT has a contemporary feel, includes characters using the Internet, and touches upon the issues of media saturation and celebrity overexposure, I didn’t detect any overt fictional superhero references.

I’m not saying a lack of fictional superhero references is a flaw, but I am wondering if it’s an issue that would benefit from being addressed in the course of a contemporary-set superhero romance story.

Neither of the above stories struck me as taking place in a wildly alternate setting, so I found myself wondering if the superhero characters ever thought about their existence in relation to our own fictional superheroes. Is this kind of story an opportunity for social commentary, namely, the intersection of popular entertainment and our attitude toward modified human beings?

For example, given the existence of fictional superheroes, how might having real superheroes in our midst affect us as a culture (including any psychological impact)? Would fictional superheroes prepare us in any way, shape or form for the real thing? Or would the existence of real superheroes blow our minds no matter how many Superman or Dr. Strange graphic novels were published?

Conversely, is it better not to mention fictional superheroes at all in superhero romances? Would that represent an intrusion of real life that might yank readers out of the story? There are probably pros and cons to doing either one. What do you think?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

*Wonder Twins homages will never get old

Jenna McCormick's "No Limits Blog Tour": Enter To Win a Kindle Fire!

2012-01-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

Starting today, author Jenna McCormick is celebrating the release of her erotic science fiction romance, NO LIMITS, with a groovy blog tour. Throughout the tour, she's giving away copies of NO LIMITS and also a grand prize of a Kindle Fire! (Entrant participation is required, but it's easy).

You can view the complete details and rules for the contest at her SFR Brigade announcement post. Here are the tour stops:

January 3: Writers Gone Wild.
AND an Interview at Kylie Griffin's Blog
January 4: No Limits for the Naked New Year Blog and A Giveaway! (Doubled up with the New Years Blog Hop)
January 5: Frances Pauli Blog Interview and A Giveaway
January 6: Book Lovers and A Giveaway
January 7: SOS Aloha
January 9: Jeanette Grey Blog and A Giveaway
January 10: Kaye Manro Blog and A Giveaway
January 11: Interview at Believing is Seeing and A Giveaway
January 12: Smart Girls love SciFi and Paranormal Romance
January 13: Interview at the Galaxy Express and A Giveaway
January 15: Space Freighters Lounge

Joyfully yours,

Heather

2012 Science Fiction Romance New Release Roundup

2012-01-01T15:40:00.005-05:00

Danger Planet by Justin Burks

Dearest passengers, welcome to the New Year, and to a new round of fun, adventurous science fiction romance stories!

In this post, you’ll discover a formidable list of forthcoming 2012 sci-fi romance books. Most of the titles are digital-first. Content ranges from romantic SF to erotic SFR. I included brief tags based on what I know for many of them. For complete details, visit the author/publisher Web sites.

This list is a work in progress and subject to change since I’ll be updating it throughout the year. I divided the titles by month of release and listed them alphabetically by author. For future reference, you can go to my sidebar under “SFR New Releases” and click “2012 Releases” for an easy jaunt to this year’s list.

As always, if anyone knows of titles or brief tags that belong on this list, please leave a comment or email me at sfrgalaxy “at” gmail.com.

Let’s blast off!

January

CHAIN REACTION (space opera) – Zoe Archer

“Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City” (The Iron Seas series; steampunk) – Meljean Brook

PASSION PLAY – Opal Carew

ESCAPE VELOCITY – Anah Crow and Dianne Fox

UNDER HIS INFLUENCE – Justine Elyot

STELLARNET REBEL (SF cyberpunk romantic thriller) – J.L. Hilton

HEROES WITHOUT, MONSTERS WITHIN (superhero) – Sheryl Nantus

“Saint Valentine’s Day” (near-future; “techno-disaster”) – Michele Lang

A FEAST OF SHADOWS (CIMMERIAN CITY sequel; cyberpunk) – Rae Lori

RUNNER (space opera) – Anitra Lynn McCleod

CLASH (space opera) – Yolanda Sfetsos

UNKNOWN FUTURES – Jessica E. Subject

NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO – Jessica E. Subject

THE ETERNAL KNOT (Book 3 of the Lancaster Trilogy) - T.K. Toppin

February

PREHISTORIC CLOCK (steampunk) – Robert Appleton

THE IRON HEART (steampunk) – Leslie Dicken

WARS OF THE HEART - Inari Gray

SYNTHETIC DREAMS (cyberpunk) – Kim Knox

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT (military space opera) – Nico Rosso

RICOCHET (space opera) – Sandra Sookoo

FRACTURED – Sandra Sookoo

UNDER HER BRASS CORSET (erotic steampunk) – Brenda Williamson

March

UNSECURE CONNECTION – Alanna Blackett (release date TBA)

BITTER HARVEST (post-apocalyptic) – Kim Knox

THREE CARD MONTE (Book 2 of Martian Alliance series) – GiniKoch (release date TBA)

THE ZURIAN CHILD (space opera) – Jessica E. Subject (release date TBA)

April

REFUGEES ON URLOON (space opera) – Melisse Aires

ENEMY MINE (erotic space opera) – Marcalla Burnard

DESERT BLADE (post-apocalyptic) – Ella Drake

ALIEN DIPLOMACY (comedic) – Gini Koch

THE WATCMAKER’S LADY (erotic clockpunk) – Heather Massey

ECHOES OF REGRET (The Telomere Trilogy Book 2; space opera) – Amber Norris

Entangled Publishing superhero romance anthology (Spring 2012; release date TBA)

May

LUMINOUS (superhero) - Corrina Lawson

FORBIDDEN DESTINY (space opera) – Kaye Manro

KICKING ASHE (space opera; time travel) – Pauline B. Jones (release date TBA)

KEIR (space opera) – Pippa Jay

Samhain Publishing superhero romance anthology – (release date TBA)

June

FREQUENCY (Book 5 of Planetary Bodies) – Kim Knox (release date TBA)

July

THE LAST NIGHT (post-apocalyptic) – Nico Rosso (release date TBA)

August

DEGREES OF WRONG – Anna Scarlett

September

ENDGAME (space opera) – Ann Aguirre

RIVETED (The Iron Seas series; steampunk) – Meljean Brook

GEARED FOR PLEASURE (erotic steampunk) – Rachel Grace (release date TBA)

October

ENDING OF ETERNITY (The Telomere Trilogy Book 3; space opera) – Amber Norris

November

December

SALVAGE (The Iron Seas series; steampunk) – Meljean Brook

GHOST PLANET (planetary romance) – Sharon Lynn Fisher

ALIEN VS ALIEN (comedic) – Gini Koch

***

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Friends-To-Lovers/Reunited Lovers In Science Fiction Romance

2011-12-29T17:00:00.001-05:00

So I read SLIP POINT by Karalynn Lee because it has, you know, a space pirate heroine! You would think that nothing would distract me from all of the space pirate derring-do in this sci-fi romance novella, but by golly, something did.

Even as the heroine, Shay, was pushing ahead on her mission, I started noticing how strong the friends-to-lovers/reunited lovers theme is in this story. It’s mentioned in the blurb, so I knew to expect it, but one can never tell how prominent an element will be until finishing a story. In SLIP POINT, that aspect turns out to play a significant role.

Shay and Jayce are friends and then lovers before the start of the story. In fact, they meet as kids. I thought the friends-to-lovers and reunited lovers aspects of the story were executed well. They had good chemistry and it made me think I wouldn’t mind reading more SFR stories with that kind of angle. It's an effective shortcut to developing the romance, particularly when a story has an external plot or detailed worldbuilding in the mix.

Then I began thinking it’d be nice to compile a list of science fiction romances that already feature friends-to-lovers or reunited lovers. There are also stories that involve heroes and heroines who knew each other previous to the story’s beginning, but weren’t a couple or friends. That's a slightly different category, but I included a few titles for the fun of it.

Here are the science fiction romance friends-to-lovers/reunited lovers stories that I know about, along with a few helpful tags so you can prioritize according to taste:

METAL REIGN – Nathalie Gray (friends-to-lovers; space opera; "sweet" heat level)

SLIP POINT – Karalynn Lee (friends-to-lovers & reunited lovers; steamy space opera)

THE SPIRAL PATH – Lisa Paitz Spindler (reunited lovers; biracial romance; space opera)

IT HAD TO BE YUU – Ilene Kaye (friends-to-lovers; space opera; comedic SF)

UNACCEPTABLE RISK – Jeanette Grey (friends-to-lovers; cyberpunk; dystopian)

HEAT - Ellie Marvel (friends-to-lovers; erotic space opera; alien lover; hero goes into heat)

GABRIEL’S GHOST – Linnea Sinclair (H&H were "friendly" adversaries prior to story; space opera)

"Courting Trouble" (short from SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH anthology) - Linnea Sinclair (hero and heroine had previous relationship; space opera)

ALPHA – Catherine Asaro (hero and heroine were adversaries prior to beginning of story; near-future suspense; artificial intelligence; android lover)

ENEMY GAMES – Marcella Burnard (hero and heroine were adversaries prior to beginning of story; space opera; BEMs).

CYBOT AWAKENED – Melisse Aires (hero is heroine’s servant at start of story; erotic space opera; cyborg hero). Sadly, according to the author, this story isn’t currently available. I previously blogged about it here.).

JAQ’S HARP – Ella Drake (reunited lovers; biopunk; steamy futuristic fairytale)

Are there any other titles we should add to the above list?

What are your thoughts on the friends-to-lovers/reunited lovers type of romance? Would you like to read more? Have any thoughts about what makes for a successful romance of this kind?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The "SFR Pitch Tournament " at SFR Brigade

2011-12-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

New science fiction romance event alert!

The SFR Brigade has launched "The Great 2012 SFR Pitch Tournament." This event is described as "A fun competition for writers of SFR" and the goal is to "To help SFR Brigade writers judge what pitches work best to hook readers. As a bonus, readers will discover some great SFR titles." Anyone can vote as well as provide feedback on the pitches.

You can read the complete details at SFR Brigade. The tournament is open for entries, and you can check out them out here.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

"12 Days of Geek Girl Christmas" At Geek Girl Underground

2011-12-22T21:00:00.001-05:00

Now this is what I call celebrating the holidays geek girl-style: the "12 Days of Geek Girl Christmas" feature at Heidi Ruby Miller's Geek Girl Underground. Heidi has crafted a righteous reinvention of a classic holiday song using pop culture ingredients that only geek girls can cook up.

She assembled a group of geek girls (including me) to supply verses and each unique contribution is presented in the post. But there's more, much much more!

Heidi Ruby Miller also sings a rendition of "12 Days of Geek Girl Christmas" and you can watch the video right now! (Scroll to bottom of post.)

Happy Holidays!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The "2012 SFR Reading Challenge" Is A Go!

2011-12-22T18:00:00.001-05:00

Science fiction romance blogger, fan, and author Rae Lori has announced a fantastic event: the 2012 SFR Reading Challenge:

We're doing it again!

2012 is already gearing up to be a crazy year and we're taking it to the romance of outer space, cyberspace, the alternate past and beyond with the 2012 SFR Reading Challenge.

The event will run from January 1, 2012 until December 31, 2012. Sign up now and pledge your mad SFR reading mojo!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

UNACCEPTABLE RISK Winner

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

The winner of Jeanette Grey's UNACCEPTABLE risk is Meagan!

Congratulations! Please email me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com to claim your prize (subject line: Risk).

A hearty thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

TIME AFTER TIME: A Classic, Super Fun Romantic SF Film

2011-12-20T18:00:00.002-05:00

Let me just say that I’m really enjoying Amazon Prime. All of those thousands of films and television shows included in the price? Wow. While watching video content online doesn’t compare to IMAX or Blu-ray, it’s perfect for those times when I’m winding down for the day and need a little random entertainment.

I’d already discovered the film OUTERWORLD and was hoping I might find something else along those lines. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to discover TIME AFTER TIME (1979). Directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen, TIME AFTER TIME has a high concept premise:

H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.

Many of you have probably already seen this film. As an SF/F fan, I’m not sure why I was so late to the party. I’d encountered the film’s poster many times throughout the years, so it’s not as though I’d never heard of it. Maybe there were too many other films competing for my attention. Anyway, when I happened upon it while scrolling down the list of SF films offered through Amazon Prime, I decided to watch it.

The steampunkish poster design drew me in and I’m sure I was seeing it in a new light given that I’ve got a lot more steampunk under my belt than as a youth. Plus, I’ve always liked actor Mary Steenburgen’s work, so when I noticed her name in the description, I immediately wondered if the film had a romantic component.

And boy, does it ever! Here’s the trailer (please ignore the rental thingy in the corner—this is the best version I could find):

Yep, those are some hokey special effects. The trailer also makes the film seem campy, which it isn’t in the least.

Those details aside, note how the narrator states that “A nineteenth century gentleman and a twentieth century woman join forces to capture a criminal from the past.” That’s exactly the kind of fused hero dynamic I love to see in a science fiction romance!

Now, this film is probably more accurately described as romantic SF thriller/steampunk since Wells and love interest Amy Robbins don’t meet until about a third of the way into the story. But when they do, there’s a wonderfully smooth meshing of the SF and romance components. The romance becomes integral to the story, and there’s an HEA.

The story was fun and engaging. The cast especially was great. Malcolm McDowell was such a hottie as H.G. Wells. I don’t normally go for the boyish look, but McDowell’s performance sucked me in. No wonder Mary Steenburgen hooked up with McDowell during the making of this film!

And David Warner? A more sophisticated film version of Jack the Ripper never stalked the streets of San Francisco.

At first, when H.G. Wells arrives at the present and Amy practically throws herself at him, it felt like a straight-up heterosexual male fantasy. But once the film got over that hump, Amy became a strong character in her own right. Without her, Wells wouldn’t have been able to do much more than tie his shoes in “futuristic” (to him) San Francisco. He knows it, too, admires her for her courage, and isn’t emasculated in any way because of it. The two become more than the sum of their parts.

I kinda wish Amy didn’t have to give up what she did at the story’s end, but her choice did fit the plot (especially if you know the history of H.G. Wells’s personal life).

My favorite line from the film is when H.G. Wells, during a conversation with Amy, states that “Every age is the same. It’s only love that makes any of them bearable.”

Isn't that an awesome line? Have you seen this film? If so, what did you think about it?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Sci-Fi Romance Titles in RT Book Reviews' "Foreword: The Books Before The Buzz"

2011-12-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

Color me "Whoa!" In the latest installment of "Forewords: The Books Before The Buzz" at the RT Book Reviews blog, is a mention of THE WATCHMAKER'S LADY, my forthcoming erotic steampunk romance from Red Sage (I announced the contract here).

There's also an interesting looking YA SF title mentioned, namely, WRECKED by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. The description implies a romance, and I wouldn't be surprised if it is of the Happily Ever After Kind. You can read more about the book in their announcement post.

Thanks for your continued support of sci-fi romance, RT Book Reviews!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Call For 2012 Science Fiction Romance Releases

2011-12-18T18:00:00.010-05:00

Hello again, dear passengers! I’m gearing up for my annual Science Fiction Romance New Release Roundup. This is a list of forthcoming science fiction romance releases that I will post on January 1, 2012. I’ll be updating the list throughout the year, so authors, no worries if you don’t have anything releasing soon or can’t yet announce your title.

Once posted, I’ll place a link to the list on my sidebar so you can check back for updates.

Below is a quick and dirty (and long!) list of the titles I already know about in no particular order:

Alien Diplomacy - Gini Koch

Under Her Brass Corset – Brenda Williamson

Clash – Yolanda Sfetsos

Escape Velocity - Anah Crow and Dianne Fox

Chain Reaction – Zoe Archer

Kicking Ashe - Pauline B. Jones

Ghost Planet - Sharon Lynn Fisher

Passion Play – Opal Carew

The Last Night – Nico Rosso

Endgame – Ann Aguirre

Unknown Futures; The Zurian Child - Jessica E. Subject

Runner – Anitra Lynn McLeod

Synthetic Dreams; Bitter Harvest - Kim Knox

Geared For Pleasure - Rachel Grace

Chain Reaction – Zoe Archer

Heroes Without, Monsters Within – Sheryl Nantus

Forbidden Destiny - Kaye Manro

Iron Heart - Leslie Dicken

Ricochet; Fractured – Sandra Sookoo

A Superhero romance anthology – Samhain Publishing

Prehistoric Clock - Robert Appleton

The Dreambox Girl - Eden Bradley

Refugees On Urloon - Melisse Aires

“Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City”; Riveted; Salvage (Iron Seas releases) – Meljean Brook

The Watchmaker’s Lady – Heather Massey

Desert Blade - Ella Drake

Releases A and B – by Author "X" (Inside info, I haz it!)

[Edited to add]

The Telomere Trilogy Book 2: Echoes of Regret and The Telomere Trilogy Book 3: Ending of Eternity - A.K. Norris

Are there any more titles that I can add to the list? Leave a comment or contact me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com. Thanks for your help!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

2011 SFR Holiday Blitz Winners

2011-12-17T19:15:00.000-05:00

The 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz winners for The Galaxy Express are as follows:

Kaye Manro - Celestial Seduction

LMasset - Once Upon a Time in Space

Congratulations, winners! To claim your prize, please email me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com. Subject line: Blitz 2011. Include your preferred format (PDF, ePub, or Mobi).

Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and for your enthusiasm!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Interview With UNACCEPTABLE RISK Author Jeanette Grey, Plus Giveaway

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

Lately I’ve been feeling as though I’m standing before one of those all-dessert buffets where I can gorge on delectable, sugar-spiked treats. That’s because I’ve had a lot of “punks” at my fingertips in the past few months: steampunk, biopunk, and, of course, cyberpunk.

The newest cyberpunk romance addition to the science fiction romance family is Jeanette Grey’s UNACCEPTABLE RISK, out now from Samhain Publishing. Congratulations on your release, Ms. Grey!

Here’s the story blurb:

She may learn to live for love…if vengeance doesn’t kill her first.

Plix spends her lonely, gritty life trying to solve the mysteries her father left behind. Armed with a variety of cybernetic enhancements and a talent for getting into places she shouldn’t be, she searches for clues to his murder—and who’s responsible for poisoning her city.

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There’s only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix’s burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing—not even the fiery kiss he’s been holding back for years—will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back…and hope one of them doesn’t pay with their lives.

***

Jeanette Grey recently launched a blog tour and her stop today is here at The Galaxy Express. In addition to participating in an interview, she has put aside a copy of UNACCEPTABLE RISK for one lucky Galaxy Express passenger! Details for the giveaway follow the interview.

Let’s jack in!

The Galaxy Express: Please tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to become a writer? What kind of stories are you known for?

Jeanette Grey: I'm a writer because I can't not be. I tried! I always have stories bubbling around in my head, and I constantly narrate what's going on as one would when telling a story.

That said, I decided to take the plunge and start trying to actually finish, edit and publish my writing when I was in a fairly dark place. I was stuck in a job I hated, isolated in a new town, and writing was the place I escaped to. My unhappiness at the time was the excuse I needed to finally motivate myself and commit to pursuing writing seriously.

I write a lot of different kinds of stories, but I think the common thread is the idea of love as a redemptive force. My characters are often lonely, damaged people, and it's through love and connection that they find happiness and healing.

Oh, yes, give it to me...

TGE: Given that science fiction romance is a niche subgenre, you took a real, er, risk writing UNACCEPTABLE RISK. What motivated you to take that plunge?

JG: A few of my friends online had been talking about cyberpunk, and it's something that has always fascinated me. I think there's just such fertile ground for world-building in the near-future. Imagining what the world will be like fifty-odd years from now, assuming the current rate of technological development, environmental change and urbanization is just so interesting to me.

Shortly thereafter, the characters of Plix and Edison showed up in my head, and their story was simply too compelling not to tell. When Samhain agreed and decided to publish it, I couldn't resist sharing their story with the world.

TGE: Without spoilers, what kind of villain are Plix and Edison up against?

JG: They're fighting against a shadowy figure who's at the heart of a corporation that Plix holds responsible for willfully poisoning her city. Always acting in the background, pulling strings and manipulating people to his own agenda, he's a tricky one to pin down, but Plix is completely determined to gather the evidence she'll need to expose his corruption.

Unfortunately, he's aware of what she's doing and uses a terrifying array of weapons against her – ones that alter her consciousness and her memories, putting the very fiber of her personhood at risk.

Mmmm...cupcakes

TGE: What kind of cool tech does UNACCEPTABLE RISK feature?

JG: Cybernetic body modifications play a key role in the story. Edison is actually a tuner –someone who specializes in integrating technology into a person's body. He and Plix first met when she came to him for some implants that give her better fine motor skills in her hand. She also has an ocular implant that enhances her vision and allows her to record everything she sees and store it in the circuitry that's been wired into her brain – all crucial tools for gathering evidence against the baddies in her world.

TGE: What kind of heat level can readers expect from the story?

JG: The emphasis of this book is primarily on the relationship between Plix and Edison, and on their crusade to try to save the world. There is definitely some heat, but it's less central than it has been in most of my other stories.

TGE: If you had genius hacker skillz, what would you use them for?

JG: Oooh, so many good options. I'd like to think I'd use them much the way Plix does – to challenge people who I think are doing wrong in the world and to expose corruption and injustice.

Though I might just try to get myself free cupcakes.

TGE: Please name a few of your favorite cyberpunk stories.

JG: Just a few? Well, right at the moment, I'm a little obsessed with the Cybershock books that came out from Samhain earlier this year, especially Zero Factor by Stacey Gail. She did such an amazing job integrating technology and romance, and the fact that her psychic character's gift relied on touch and touch memory was a brilliant way to introduce a sensual element.

TGE: Where can readers find you?

JG: I just launched my new website at http://www.jeanettegrey.com/ and I'm on Twitter pretty regularly (http://twitter.com/#!/jeanettelgrey ). I have a Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/jeanettelgrey ).

TGE: What else can readers look forward to from you?

JG: Sadly, I don't have any solid release dates that I can share right now, but I'm currently finishing editing on a contemporary novel, and I have two SFR works in progress that I hope I'll be able to share next year.

Thanks so much for having me, and for putting the spotlight on science fiction romance.

Ms. Grey, thank you for your time, and for your art.

***

Now for the giveaway! Enter for a chance to win an e-copy of UNACCEPTABLE RISK by leaving a comment for this post. Available formats: PDF, Mobi, and Epub. The contest will be open until midnight EST on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.

Let’s make it even more fun: If you could visit any type of virtual world, where would you go?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Jack & Sophie Meet…Sophie and Jack

2011-12-13T19:51:00.000-05:00

As if science fiction romance weren’t a small enough niche to begin with, we already have some character name drama brewing.

Back in May of 2011, my steampunk romance short story, “Steambot Rampage,” was released in L&L Dreamspell’s DREAMSPELL STEAMPUNK Anthology, Volume 1 (along with stories by Pauline Baird Jones, Chris Samson, and Linda Houle). The hero is named Jack and the heroine’s name is Sophie. Then, in November, author Melisse Aires had a new steampunk romance release called STARLANDER’S MYTH (Whiskey Creek Press's Torrid). And what did she name her hero and heroine?

Jack and Sophie, respectively.

So I’m like, what is going on here?! ;) How could two stories released within months of each other feature main characters with the same names? Is this a statistical anomaly or something? Is it possible that Melisse Aires and I were separated at birth?

I’m a fan of steampunk romance so naturally, I knew I had to not only read STARLANDER’S MYTH for pleasure, but also investigate what else is going on in that story. Would I find any other unexpected surprises? ;)

Let’s investigate!

In “Steambot Rampage,” a no-nonsense secretary and an intrepid reporter join forces to battle a bizarre automaton on a rampage on the eve of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

STARLANDER’S MYTH is a steampunk space western about an asteroid miner who comes to the rescue of a woman with a secret heritage. The steampunk aesthetic of the setting infuses everything from clothing to equipment the way Joss Whedon’s FIREFLY was steeped in the American Old West.

Okay, so the premises and settings of the stories are completely different. But the hero and heroine have the same names! However will readers tell these two stories apart?! ;)

In STARLANDER’S MYTH, Jack is a war hero who has started a new life on Yonder Beltway 7 excavating a valuable resource known as “cryst.” As the story begins, he discovers a woman and her child are about to be sold into slavery. Sophie has a secret that must be concealed at all costs. The author’s Web site describes her as a “mythical creature” and in reading the story I learned which kind. Hmm, well, I guess that’s about as different from my story as steam engines are from peas.

Speaking of steam engines, what about the tech in STARLANDER’S MYTH? There are steampunk-style space ships, flyers, a couple of “brass and steel” automatons…

Wait a minute! My story has automaton, action, too! Er, it has one automaton, whose, um, pyramidal shape is nothing like the ones in STARLANDER’S MYTH. Jim and Bob, as Jack Starlander calls his helpers, can operate a space ship with aplomb. The one in “Steambot Rampage” can, uh, well, it goes on a wild rampage!

STARLANDER’S MYTH features a romance that develops as Jack and Sophie race to escape the clutches of the slaver and locate a safe haven for her and her daughter. The couple becomes better acquainted along the way—in more ways than one. As far as heat level, STARLANDER’S MYTH is an erotic steampunk romance, albeit one on the tamer side.

How does that compare with “Steambot Rampage”? Jack and Sophie have more of a friends-to-lovers thing happening, and it’s up to readers to imagine what goes on in their bedroom after the story ends.

Okay, so despite the character name similarity, I couldn’t find anything else that Melisse Aires’ STARLANDER’S MYTH had in common with “Steambot Rampage.” In fact, the story engrossed me to the point that while reading, I forgot all about the name issue. :P

I hope you’ll have fun going along for the ride, too!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

QUEENIE'S BRIGADE At Library Journal & SFR Events Roundup

2011-12-12T20:27:00.001-05:00

I've got a few fun things to share. First, some exciting news:

In Librarian's Best Books of 2011: Ebook Romance at Library Journal, Marlene Harris (Reading Reality blogger and creator of Ebook Review Central) blogged about "the top five 2011 ebook romances that stuck with her in a year of memorable love stories..." One of the books is QUEENIE'S BRIGADE, my science fiction romance novella from Red Sage. Needless to say, I'm incredibly delighted and honored.

Ms. Harris has been an enthusiastic supporter of SFR, so please read her friendly and informative posts and reviews at Reading Reality!

Second, ongoing events and giveaways:

Jeanette Grey has launched her book tour to celebrate the release of her cyberpunk romance, UNACCEPTABLE RISK (Samhain Publishing), which releases tomorrow! She's at The Book Nympho today with an interview and is giving away acopy of UNACCEPTABLE RISK. Click here to see the dates of her other stops, including one at The Galaxy Express on 12/15.

Jessica E. Subject's "Light up the holidays with Sci-Fi Romance" is in full swing. Today's featured author is Sara Brookes and she has a giveaway on tap. The event runs all month long; click here for the complete schedule.

The 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz launched this week with lots of fun sci-fi romance titles up for grabs!

Third, I'm blogging at Heroes and Heartbreakers about the alien lover fantasy in science fiction romance: Men Are Really From Mars: Alien Lover Fantasies. Come on over and share your favorite!

In non-SFR blogging news, I'm having waaaay too much fun at The Biopunk Reader where author Christine Danse (ISLAND OF ICARUS) is kindly hosting my post about Repo! The Genetic Opera: The Biopunk-Rock Musical Mashup of the Century. It's a film you won't soon forget.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Welcome to the 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz!

2011-12-11T15:00:00.004-05:00

SFR Holiday Blitz icon by Kanaxa

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—the time that a group of authors and bloggers join forces so you can enter for a chance to win a variety of free science fiction romance ebooks!

This year, all the prizes are ebooks so you can load up your e-reader for the holidays!

Here’s how it works:

Entering is free and easy: Just leave a comment. You’ll be entered for a chance to win one (1) of the ebooks featured here. Then visit the other participating blogs, which are listed below for your convenience.

Winners can choose from the following formats: PDF, Mobi, or ePub.

The deadline to enter is midnight at EST on Friday, December 16, 2011.

Here are the prizes at this blog:

CELESTIAL SEDUCTION by Jessica E. Subject

ONCE UPON A TIME IN SPACE by Heather Massey (in the interest of full disclosure, that’s me)

Have you entered? Great! Below are the other blogs participating in the 2011 SFR Holiday Blitz:

Alien Romances

CONTACT – Infinite Futures

Love Romance Passion

SFR Brigade

Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance

SpacefreightersLounge

The Galaxy Express

vvb32reads

(Please be conscientious: Each prize being given away in this contest is a license to read the e-books, unless otherwise noted by the author.)

Happy blog hopping!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

AZ Central Profiles TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN Author Gini Koch

2011-12-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

There's a fun and informative article about Gini Koch's (ALIEN PROLIFERATION) path to publication at AZ Central: "Alien" author offers tips to aspiring novelists (via SF Signal). In the article, Ms. Koch reveals "the secret to getting published."

Hmm, I wonder if that would have anything to do with writing science fiction romance stories...!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Steampunk Romance Watch: December 2011

2011-12-08T19:39:00.003-05:00

It’s steampunk romance watch time! These are posts where I cover what’s happening in the steampunk romance genre. My last one was in November 2010, so this one is long overdue.

Quite a few releases came out recently and more are on the horizon. For this segment, I decided to focus on steampunk romance releases I haven’t already blogged about or covered, which means all except one of the titles below were released in the latter half of 2011 (for a complete list of steampunk romance titles from this year, see my 2011 Science Fiction Romance New Release Roundup). I also included commentary/tags with some of the titles.

Whether you’re traveling by airship, steam carriage, or clockwork horse, there’s sure to be a steampunk romance—or three—that you’ll enjoy in this batch.

Steampunk romance anthologies

First up are two hot-off-the-press steampunk romance anthologies.

A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS (edited by Angela James, December 2011) is a holiday steampunk anthology from Carina Press:

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband's love. A man learns that love isn't always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

A CLOCKWORK CHIRSTMAS includes the following stories (they can also be purchased individually):

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail

Roderick Coddington is on a mission to make Cornelia Peabody pay. After identifying her as the thief who stole a priceless Fabergé egg from his dying sister, he finds her and shackles a deadly timepiece to her arm. If she doesn't return the egg by Christmas morning, she will die.

Normally seven days is more than enough time for Cornelia to carry out the perfect crime, but Roderick's intrusion into her life is beyond distracting. He challenges her mind, and ignites her body with desire she's never felt before. But worst of all, he threatens the independence she values above all else...

As Roderick spends time with Cornelia, he realizes there's a lonely soul hidden beneath her beautiful but criminal veneer. Falling for a thief wasn't part of Roderick's plan, but plans can change and he has no intention of letting another priceless treasure get away from him.

Read the excerpt.

This Winter Heart by PG Forte

Eight years ago, Ophelia Leonides's husband cast her off when he discovered she was not the woman he thought she was. Now destitute after the death of her father, Ophelia is forced to turn to Dario for help raising the child she never told him about.

Dario is furious that Ophelia has returned, and refuses to believe Arthur is his son—after all, he thought his wife was barren. But to avoid gossip, he agrees to let them spend the holidays at his villa. While he cannot resist the desire he still feels for Ophelia, Dario despises himself for being hopelessly in love with a woman who can never love him back.

But Dario is wrong: Ophelia's emotions are all too human, and she was brokenhearted when he rejected her. Unsure if she can trust the man she desperately loves, she fears for her life, her freedom and her son if anyone else learns of her true nature...

Read the excerpt.

Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz

All suffragette Esme Smith wants is a man. A scoundrel to be precise. Someone who can be persuaded to represent her political views at men-only clubs. As the daughter of the richest man in Australia, Esme can afford to make it worth the right man's while.

Fresh off the boat, American inventor Jed Reeve is intrigued by Esme's proposal, but even more interested in the beauty herself. Amused that she takes him for a man who lives by his wits, he accepts the job—made easier by the fact that he already shares her ideals. Soon, he finds himself caught up in political intrigue, kidnapping and blackmail, and trying to convince his employer he's more than just a scoundrel...

Read the excerpt.

Far From Broken by JK Coi

Soldier. Spymaster. Husband.

Colonel Jasper Carlisle was defined by his work until he met his wife. When the prima ballerina swept into his life with her affection, bright laughter and graceful movements, he knew that she was the reason for his existence, and that their love would be forever.

But their world is shattered when Callie is kidnapped and brutally tortured by the foes Jasper has been hunting. Mechanical parts have replaced her legs, her hand, her eye...and possibly her heart. Though she survived, her anger at Jasper consumes her, while Jasper's guilt drives him from the woman he loves. He longs for the chance to show her their love can withstand anything...including her new clockwork parts.
As the holiday season approaches, Jasper realizes he must fight not just for his wife's love and forgiveness...but also her life, as his enemy once again attempts to tear them apart.

Read the excerpt.

If you like your steampunk a bit, uh, steamier, check out STEAMLUST (edited by Kristina Wright, October 2011), an erotic steampunk romance anthology from Cleis Press:

Steampunk erotic romance is shiny brass and crushed velvet, mechanical inventions and romantic conventions, sexual fantasy and kinky fetish. This unique collection includes tales of adventure and intrigue, enhanced by imaginative gadgets and clever automatons, populated by the passionate, free-spirited rebels and dreamers steampunk is known for. In Nikki Magennis's "Make Your Own Miracles," a lust-filled lady orders a machine to relieve the agony of her longing; while a brilliant inventor and a wanton engineer collaborate with ecstatic results in Saskia Walker's "Hearts of the Daedalus." In Lynn Townsend's "Golden Moment," an invention leads the heroine to exactly the right lover at precisely the right time. And the time bandits of Vida Bailey's "Undergrounded" indulge their desires, just one step ahead of the law. Tantalizing steam engine dreams and clockwork visions await!

You can watch the Steamlust trailer at Youtube. It’s a little long, and the words sometimes obscure the images, but I can never resist the call of stop-motion animation.

Steampunk romance books/ebooks

HEART OF STEEL – Meljean Brook

This is book two of the author’s The Iron Seas series. Here’s the blurb:

As the mercenary captain of the Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair — he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest.

When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco — and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart…

Read the excerpt.

My commentary:

If worldbuilding is your thing, then this series delivers. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen HEART OF STEEL tagged as romantic steampunk fantasy and heavy on the external plot.

“The Blushing Bounder” from the WILD AND STEAMY anthology – Meljean Brook

Story blurb:

While the search for a killer puts Constable Newberry’s life in danger, he faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?

FAR TOO HUMAN - Anitra Lynn McLeod

Jonathan P. Quiverbotton freely admits he is fussy, punctual…and terribly lonely. All his attempts to build a companion have failed miserably. Desperate, he rents a man-of-all-work bot from a local factory, intent on uncovering its secrets.

When the manbot arrives, though, it bears a stunningly familiar face. The face of a notorious con man—with whom Jonathan once had a fleeting assignation.

Marcus isn't quite certain why this doorstep seems so familiar, but once he lays eyes on Jonathan, memories flood back so strong only one thing matters. To convince Jonathan that he's a changed man.

Raw sexual passion quickly forges a deep emotional bond, fueled by the knowledge that Marcus must soon return to the factory. Before their time ticks down, another man emerges from Marcus's murky past, reminding him of his unfulfilled part in a blackmail scheme.

Marcus wants no part of his old life, but refusal not only exposes Jonathan to danger, it puts him at the mercy of those who would use his illegal enhancements at the cost of his humanity.

Read the excerpt.

My commentary:

If there’s one element guaranteed to compel me to read a steampunk romance, it’s automatons in key roles. Based on the “manbot” in the blurb, I bought and read this story as soon as I discovered it.

The blurb also mentions “illegal enhancements” which itself is a clue that the manbot in question is more man than machine. Having read the story, I would characterize Marcus as a steampunk cyborg rather than an automaton.

FAR TOO HUMAN is an erotic m/m steampunk romance, heavy on the erotic. The story tone struck me as playful. I wish the external plot had been meatier since there were hints of a complex world. However, the romance aspect is strong and there’s a palpable chemistry between the heroes.

In general, it seems like steampunk romance is trending toward cyborg heroes and heroines (e.g, Meljean Brook’s THE IRON DUKE; Sylvia Day’s “Iron Hard;” JK Coi’s FAR FROM BROKEN), which is fun.

STARLANDER’S MYTH – Melisse Aires

A steampunk spacewestern romance in the Starlander Frontier series.

Asteroid miner Jack Starlander stumbles upon the illegal sale of a woman and child with unusual abilities. In the ensuing shoot out, two important men die. Jack, Sophie and her daughter, along with Jack's close neighbors, are forced to flee to safety. Their journey takes them into deadly danger. Sophie is a creature from myth and she recognizes the mythic thread in Starlander's family legend. Perhaps his family legend can save them.

Read the excerpt.

My commentary:

This is an erotic steampunk romance, but on the “sweet” heat level side (especially as the story progresses). I’ve read STARLANDER’S MYTH, so look for my post about it later this month. I will say this about it, though: It’s one of the few (if not the only) steampunk romances featuring steampunk space ships. Boo-yah!

THE HUNTER – Theresa Meyers

Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk?

My commentary:

This is book one of the author’s The Legend Chronicles. From what I’ve gleamed about THE HUNTER, it’s a paranormal-western-steampunk romance mashup. In addition to the succubi heroine, there are also vampires.

MISS MINNIE AND THE BRASS PLUGIT (January) – Sahara Kelly

He isn’t made of brass…but that won’t stop him from steaming up her nights.

Flouting convention and raising eyebrows from aristocratic drawing rooms to Whitehall, Lady Minnie Dalrymple takes men to her bed as she pleases. She doesn’t do favors outside the boudoir, particularly for politically powerful men whose motives are rarely pure. Yet when her lover asks her to visit the mysterious Dr. Pierce Lowell, she’s intrigued. Why should she be asked to essentially spy on the reclusive scientist?

Pierce has several projects under development, none of which he cares to share with the public. The arrival of any unexpected guest rouses suspicion, but the wealthier-than-God, eccentric young widow certainly isn’t threatening…not to his experiments, anyway. To his heart? That’s another matter entirely.

Their lighthearted, mutual exploration is interrupted by the discovery of a woman’s body found strangled just offshore. When Minnie learns this is the fourth such crime, it isn’t difficult to convince Pierce that working at his side to uncover the plot is the safest place to be. Until she is kidnapped. To save the woman he has come to love, Pierce must call on every ounce of ingenuity and brilliance—and reveal his most closely guarded secret.

Read the excerpt.

Forthcoming titles

THE IRON HEART (February 7, 2012, (Samhain Publishing) – Leslie Dicken

His greatest creation could be the death of them both.

One woman swears to avenge the savagery of a ruthless killer loose on the streets of Lundun; if only she can stay one step ahead of an inventor who fears that his greatest work, a labor of love, has turned on humanity.

Grieving the loss of her beloved cousin, Ella Wilder is determined to catch the murderer. Infuriated by the fumblings of the constable, she seeks the assistance of a handsome noble who seems to be looking for his own answers, and whose reluctance tells her he has something to hide. Over time, hesitant intimacy grows into fiery passion but brings them no closer to finding the madman.

As the killer reveals darker inventions that blur the boundary between man and machine, Ella fights the fear he may be after her next. Can Ella trust her heart to the man who refuses to share his secrets yet swears to protect her? Will Bennett be able to choose between keeping terrifying family secrets…or losing Ella to the iron-hearted killer who stalks the night?

My commentary:

One thing we know for sure: “iron” is becoming the new buzz word for steampunk romance titles!

THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY (Spring 2012, Red Sage Publishing) – Heather Massey (in the interest of full disclosure, that’s me!)

Here’s a treat: the (unofficial) story blurb:

Matthew Goddard is a lonely watchmaker in 1840 New England. One fateful day, he discovers the lover of his dreams in a dusty corner of the local general store—Isabel, a bisque porcelain mannequin head with mesmerizing, smoky blue eyes. When Matthew invites her to come live with him, she eagerly “accepts.”

The couple embarks on a lust-filled affair, one fueled by Matthew’s wild imagination. In order to provide Isabel with a brass body and pretty clothes, he begins a secret side business selling clockwork sex toys to his wealthy female customers.

Danger, however, threatens their idyllic romance when a disgruntled customer exposes Matthew’s forbidden business to the townspeople. Despite the growing menace, Matthew will stop at nothing in order to save his soul mate—and protect their love.

My commentary:

If you like unconventional heroines, Pygmalion themes, and surprise twists, then THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY is for you. For more information, see my announcement post here.

UNDER HER BRASS CORSET (February 2012, Carina Press) - Brenda Williamson

I couldn’t find a blurb, but the author posted the following information at harlequinfilms:

Under Her Brass Corset is a victorian-pirate-fantasy-steampunk story about Abigail Thatch and her quest to find her great-grandfather, Blackbeard's treasure to pay the mortage on her house in England. Her adventure becomes an eye opening experience when she meets Captain Jasper Blackthorn and learns myths and legends with trolls and fairies are more real than she ever imagined, and the magic of snowglobe holds the secrets of immortality.

My commentary:

Mmmmm…Victorian pirates!

[Edited to add]

This just in: Robert Appleton reported in the comment section that his book PREHISTORIC CLOCK, "a steampunk adventure w/ romantic elements," will be released by Carina Press in February 2012. Here's the blurb:

Airship officer Verity Champlain is well-respected by her crew. But after a vital mission nearly goes wrong, she is having second thoughts about her career.

Lord Garrett Embrey is on the run. The Leviacrum Council, the secretive scientific body that holds sway over the Empire, executed his father and uncle and now they want him dead too.

Professor Cecil Reardon is consumed by grief. Since his wife and son died he's been obsessed with his work, and now he is on the verge of an extraordinary scientific breakthrough: his machine is about to breach time itself, to undo fate's cruel taking of his loved ones.

But the time jump doesn't go according to plan, and part of London winds up millions of years in the past. Verity and her crew—Lord Embrey, Professor Reardon and others stranded with them—must pull together to survive in a world ruled by dinosaurs...and to somehow get home.
My commentary:

Time machines, airships, and dinosaurs, oh my!

In the works

KT Grant (“Brass Balls and Hysteria”) blogged about how she’s been working on a new steampunk romance (you can read my interview with her here).

And there you have it: Steampunk romance is alive and well!

Authors, if you’ll have a steampunk romance title that will be out in 2012, please let us know in the comments!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Heidi Ruby Miller On Science Fiction Romance

2011-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

I was scrolling through various Twitter feeds last night and discovered a post about science fiction romance called Heidi Ruby Miller's GEEK GIRL UNDERGROUND - Set Your Phasers to Love!.

It's a fun overview of the subgenre and so I wanted to pass it on!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY: My Victorian Sex Doll Erotic Steampunk Romance

2011-12-07T14:00:00.006-05:00

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve contracted a new sci-fi romance with Red Sage Publishing! Specifically, THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY, an erotic steampunk romance novella.

Here’s the basic premise:

A watchmaker in 1840 New England falls in love with a beautiful clockwork automaton, but how long before the townspeople discover his forbidden affair?

On the surface, this story is about a man in love with a Victorian sex doll. But if you dig a little deeper beneath the kink, you’ll discover a heartwarming romance between two soul mates who manage to find each other—and stay together—despite overwhelming odds.

Thanks to the diverse-ilicious nature of science fiction romance, I had the pleasure of integrating a number of exciting elements into this story:

* Clockpunk

* A hero with a unique occupation

* An unconventional heroine

* An unusual historical romance/Victorian setting

* Erotically charged love scenes that deliver a “sweet” level of kink

…plus a few other surprises, which I’m definitely not going to spoil for you! In fact, I hope you’ll have fun keeping them a secret until your fellow readers discover them on their own!

In terms of the story's characters and tone, think LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. Like THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY, that film explores the power of imagination and its role in love. It’s worth seeing for Ryan Gosling alone, who will melt your heart. Plot-wise, however, these two stories are completely different (LARS AND THE REAL GIRL is a romantic comedy-drama and despite the presence of Bianca, a [warning: explicit content ahead] Real Doll, is non-erotic).

If you haven’t seen LARS AND THE REAL GIRL yet, I’d like to tempt you with the trailer:

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Look for THE WATCHMAKER’S LADY in Spring 2012 from Red Sage Publishing.

Thank you, dear passengers, for this opportunity to share my news with you.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Two More Sci-Fi Romances To Add To Your TBR List

2011-12-06T18:00:00.007-05:00

BRAIDED SILK by Ella Drake and FAR TOO HUMAN by Anitra Lynn McLeod came out recently and I wanted to let you know about them. I wished I had blogged about them in a more timely manner; however I will comfort myself with the rationalization that science fiction romance is growing so much that one person cannot possibly keep track of them all. :P

First up is Ella Drake’s BRAIDED SILK (Liquid Silver Books). This novella keeps in tune with Future Tales, her twisted fairytale biopunk world that first appeared in JAQ’S HARP. Here’s the BRAIDED SILK blurb:

Rapunzel was made with technologically advanced hair. As a trained Mother agent, Zel can't escape the DNA that makes her a pawn in corporate espionage. Kidnapped and held in a tower on Gothel Island, she falls prey to the sexual allure of her captor’s son, Langley, a man whose every tantalizing touch makes her forget she wasn’t born human.

Langley Gothel protests the existence of creations such as Zel, but when faced with losing her, he sees the truth: Life is precious, whether born, modified, or shaped in a Petri dish. He does the one thing he thought he'd never do. He has to give up Zel, or become a mod. But will that be enough go get them down from the floating islands and safely to ground?

Read the excerpt.

FAR TOO HUMAN (Samhain Publishing) by Anitra Lynn McLeod is an erotic steampunk romance. I will have more to report on this tale soon, but in the meantime, here’s the blurb:

If you build it, love will come.

Jonathan P. Quiverbotton freely admits he is fussy, punctual…and terribly lonely. All his attempts to build a companion have failed miserably. Desperate, he rents a man-of-all-work bot from a local factory, intent on uncovering its secrets.

When the manbot arrives, though, it bears a stunningly familiar face. The face of a notorious con man—with whom Jonathan once had a fleeting assignation.

Marcus isn’t quite certain why this doorstep seems so familiar, but once he lays eyes on Jonathan, memories flood back so strong only one thing matters. To convince Jonathan that he’s a changed man.

Raw sexual passion quickly forges a deep emotional bond, fueled by the knowledge that Marcus must soon return to the factory. Before their time ticks down, another man emerges from Marcus’s murky past, reminding him of his unfulfilled part in a blackmail scheme

Marcus wants no part of his old life, but refusal not only exposes Jonathan to danger, it puts him at the mercy of those who would use his illegal enhancements at the cost of his humanity.

Read the excerpt.

And wow, what lovely covers! Both of these books show that we can go anywhere in science fiction romance.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Entangled Publishing Call For Submissions: Geeks Unite!

2011-12-06T13:00:00.003-05:00

How cool is this? Entangled Publishing put out a call on December 3, 2011, for geek-centric stories (including science fiction romance):

Forget the meek—the geek shall inherit the earth, and it’s their turn to find out just how much love bytes. We love seeing beauty and brains combined, whether geeks are dealing with the tiresome rigors of tech support, arguing Star Wars vs. Star Trek, brewing coffee in beakers, pwning the opposing faction in an MMORPG, or single-handedly bringing down an unstoppable robot army. No longer shall geeks be pushed to the bottom of the social ladder. The geek revolution is now, and we want to hear their stories.

Entangled publishing seeks submissions for a 2012 geek collection on the Ever After line. Submissions must:

Be 20,000 to 40,000 words in length.
Contain strong romantic elements.
Involve a geek as a primary character, anything from a programmer to a starship engineer.

All heat levels will be accepted, but erotic elements must not be the main focus of the story.

Slowly but surely, non-erotic science fiction romance will have a place in this market!

Hurry, authors--the deadline to submit is January 15, 2012. See the post at Entangled's site for complete details. (Thanks to author Diane Dooley for the news).

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Blogging at Heroes and Heartbreakers

2011-12-06T11:00:00.002-05:00

I'm excited to share that I have started blogging for Heroes and Heartbreakers! My debut post is The Courtship Dance in Science Fiction Romance.

I'm looking forward to meeting new readers and, of course, having another opportunity to share my love of all things science fiction romance. I have a number of fun posts in the works and will link to them as they appear.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

"Fortune Cat's Visit": My Free Sci-Fi Romance Short

2011-12-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

For "Light up the holidays with Sci-Fi Romance" at Jessica E. Subject's blog, I contributed a free (very) short story. "Fortune Cat's Visit" is a near-future sci-fi romance with a San Francisco Chinatown setting (heat level: sweet).

Enjoy!

Heather

Sci-Fi Romance News: Rae Lori Re-releases CIMMERIAN CITY

2011-12-05T19:00:00.001-05:00

I have another sci-fi romance re-release to share with you. And let me just say that I really admire the perseverance of authors who write in this subgenre. It's a challenge not only in terms of the writing, but also adapting to new markets and connecting with readers.

Author and blogger Rae Lori alerted me about the re-release of her sci-fi romance ebook CIMMERIAN CITY. If you're looking for SFR with people of color, then this book delivers. Below are the complete details about this release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cimmerian City

Fiction Meets Reality in a Futuristic Tale of Corporate Corruption, Pharmaceuticals and Human Experimentation

In 2007, author Rae Lori made her novel writing debut with Cimmerian City, a science fiction thriller exploring the what-ifs in a future where corporations rule the world, science is big business and governments no longer exist. Everyday pharmaceuticals are used as experiments on the unsuspecting population, soon creating a vampire-like warrior race to dwell alongside humans.

It is seen through the eyes of a young woman named Raven Blackheart. It is a future where corporations rule the world and political parties have been dismissed. An Earth that is recovering from a global war that has divided two races: Humans and Dracins: quick, tough skinned creatures that are children of the side effects from 20th century pharmaceuticals. Raven awakens in this world as a product of both races and nurtured by the vice president of the main corporation in the world as a symbol of the union of races. With her help, Vice President Tyler Deamond’s corporation can take both beings off Earth--which is quickly becoming a waste planet--and to the new terraformed planet, Jupiter II.

But, as Raven learns, nothing is as it seems, especially concerning humans.

The Cimmerian duology centers around three central characters, including Raven herself. Raven's family ties also shape a big part of her present and future. With a mixture of Egyptian and Native American heritage, she is a woman who lived on a reservation after losing the only family she knew to a corrupt world who saw its inhabitants as commercial experiments. The mysterious Enos Relim, a strong willed, whip smart man from the Blackfoot tribe, eventually trains and mentors Raven. He also helps her find out the truth about what happened to her father who disappeared mysteriously years ago. The brilliant Russell Li, a young handsome Chinese American man, works as an engineer at a prestigious corporation. Soon he is invited to move up in his career...but at a price that ultimately ends in costing a part of his soul. In the beginning, all three lose someone close to them, an experience which binds them for the rest of their lives.

Cimmerian City, the re-released second edition, is now available in online bookstores and is also coming soon to second edition print. The sequel entitled A Feast of Shadows, which explores upon the developing romance and the corporation's intentions, will be released shortly.

***
Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The Authors & Bloggers Speak: What It Means To Be A Geek Girl

2011-12-04T19:37:00.002-05:00

Geek girls come from all walks of life and yeah, they’re like snowflakes—no two are exactly the same. They do, however, have in common a love of all things geek.

Geek girls are a force to be reckoned with, and they've been on my mind a lot lately. Therefore, I wanted to know what makes a geek girl’s brain tick. With that goal in mind, I posed the following question to a number of authors and bloggers in the science fiction romance community:

What does being a geek girl mean to you?

Here’s what these ladies had to say:

Melisse Aires (STARLANDER’S MYTH)

“My older brother's love of scifi turned me into a geek girl! We had a nice county library, where Mom would take us once a week, religiously. The library and my mother did not censor reading, which is important. So many classic scifi books were in Adult Fiction. My brother also had a nice little nitecrawler business in the summer, and he spent his earnings on scifi paperbacks--Andre Norton, Poul Anderson, Murray Leinster, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlien, Edgar Rice Burroughs and many more, which he shared. Those writers opened entire new worlds. My brothers and I devoured them.”

[For the extended version of the author's ascent into geek girl status, click here.]

Marcella Burnard (ENEMY GAMES)

“Girl geeks (and maybe geeks in general) retain a sense of curiosity and openness to asking questions about all sorts of strange and wonderful things – a trait that I find curiously absent from most non-geeks. I don’t think we mean to ask the hard questions, to challenge our cultures, our societies or our norms. We can’t help ourselves. We want so badly to know stuff. I love getting to hang with girl geeks because when I do, I know I’m among some of the brightest, most diverse intellects humanity has to offer. That’s why all my heroines are girl geeks. Geeks are the ones who change the world.”

Sara Creasy (CHILDREN OF SCARABAEUS)

“As a kid, being a geek girl meant getting chemistry sets and Lego under the Christmas tree instead of bikes and Barbies, and spending my pocket money on a Commodore 64. These days... well, I would like to say it means picking up Scientific American instead of Woman's Day in the doctor's waiting room, but even a geek girl needs to source a good recipe sometimes.”

Charlie, the blogger behind Smart Girls Love SciFi & Paranormal Romance

“I think I realized I was a geek girl my Freshman year in high school. I would stay up all night on the weekends to watch the Star Trek and Space 1999 marathons on TV. It seemed like the rest of the world was only interested in who shot JR (from a night time soap called Dallas, if you're too young for the reference). I guess that is what being a geek was all about back then, being different, loving things that challenged my imagination, believing in possibilities. Nowadays, it seems like there are a lot more of us around than there once were. Exciting times! But we're still not the majority and we're a diverse group. I think, though, we are still about being different and accepting and respecting differences. For me, that is the core of geekiness and I hope one day we will rule the world! Mwaahhahaha!”

Diane Dooley (BLUE GALAXY)

“Being a geek girl means I am never bored. How could I be? I have folk songs to research, science topics to understand, new art to discover, a geek husband to entertain, two geek children to raise. You can put it on my tombstone. Here She Lies: Lived and Died a Geek Girl. Just remember to stick a good book in my coffin.”

Ella Drake (BRAIDED SILK)

“Being a geek girl means being unapologetic. I love gadgets, I love big explosion movies, I love martial arts, and I love being able to code circles around geek boys. And I won't apologize for beating the pants off those guys back in my DooM Deathmatch days. I don't feel obligated to fit into a mold, to wear heels or dresses or makeup, unless I want to. It's freeing, to be who I am--to wear boots with those dresses and judo wrestle guys to the floor with glee.”

Nathalie Gray (GRIDLOCK)

“What being a geek girl, to me, means:

Rivets. Lots and lots of rivets. And guns.”

Jeanette Grey (UNACCEPTABLE RISK)

“Being a geek girl means making decisions with both my mind and my heart, and loving a good puzzle as much as a good romance. It means always being open to learning something new and getting in the face of anyone who tries to imply that girls aren't good at math. It means looking great while rolling dice, reciting lines from Space Balls as readily as all the lyrics from Beauty and the Beast, and always being ready to power-shop or kick ass. It means being a lot of different things, all at once. And it means never running out of ways to have fun.”

Pauline B. Jones (STEAMROLLED)

“Being a geek girl means hanging with the cool girls. It's breaking free of gravity. It's being lost (and found) in space. It's being Jane Jetson. Hmm, that might be title for a book, cause I so wanted to be Jane Jetson.”

Gini Koch (ALIEN PROLIFERATION)

“What does being a geek girl mean to me? It means that I like whatever the heck I want, get excited about things like the latest superhero movie, still think Firefly was canceled too soon and The Rocky Horror Picture Show was the best musical ever made, wax rhapsodic about the merits of Wolverine and Deadpool over Cyclops and Spiderman, listen to whatever music I want from Big Band to Punk to Country and everything in between, still get excited about D&D, and more. Being a proud geek girl means I don't care what anyone else thinks -- I know what I like, and I enjoy spending time with those who like what I like as well. I raise my Geek Flag high and let it fly so all other geeks can find me easily. What's my flag say? It's Hip to be Geek, of course!”

Corrina Lawson, author (PHOENIX RISING) and GeekMom blogger

"It means that I'm not alone.

Growing up, I was a square peg, a girl who loved science fiction, fantasy, superheroes in a time when all those things weren't associated with girls. I only knew that I loved my monthly comics, and the impossible stories that I read and that, even more, I was driven to analyze them to the point where I memorized the lineage of the Elves in Tolkien and knew all the names of the dragons in Benden Weyr. I also knew that it was thought to be weird. It wasn't until I grew up that I discovered that not only was there a word for it but there were a lot of people who proudly wore the term. I'd found my tribe. (And, I originally wrote "tribe" as tribble, which is a very Freudian typo, I think. :)

Being a geek means that I'm free to be me."

Kaye Manro (FORBIDDEN LOVE)

“Atypical. Not viewing issues the way other people do. I love science and technology, and I don’t exactly fit into ordinary spaces.The biggest factor of all is geek girls are smart.”

[There's more! The author reflects further about her geek girl nature and checks in with even more geek girls in Geek Girls Tell All]

Lisa Paitz Spindler (THE SPIRAL PATH)

"In a world where being female has historically meant certain areas of study and activity were closed to women, being a geek girl, to me, means seizing the opportunities to expand my knowledge of science and technology -- and having fun while doing it."

***
Many thanks to all of our participants. Those quotes were a great ride.

Let’s keep the conversation rolling! What does being a geek girl mean to you?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

SFR News & Links For December 2011

2011-12-01T19:13:00.003-05:00

It may be the end of the year, but based on what we've seen in 2011, science fiction romance is just getting started. I hope you all had as much fun reading this year as I did.

Here is my last monthly roundup for 2011:

New releases

HEART OF STEEL (steampunk) - Meljean Brook

(This book actually released in November. I figured better late than never!)

As the mercenary captain of the Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair — he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest.

When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco — and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart…

Read the excerpt.

LESSERBLOOD LIES (refreshed version of A GREATER ART) - Ainsley Davidson

To protect her children from the despotic Trueblood, Merianne defied them by taking her girls and fleeing the planet. Even though Merianne's daughters are Lesserblood, they have the Talents. The Trueblood would train her children to use their dangerous gifts, but their methods are cruel, and Merianne would never see her girls again.

Merianne tries to give her girls a safe, quiet life, but when they befriend Thorne, a brilliant scientist, she finds herself drawn to the kind and captivating man—despite his uncanny resemblance to the Trueblood.

Thorne wants to help the girls control their emerging Talents, and he's intrigued by their mother. But just as Merianne finally accepts Thorne's help, two of her children are seized. To rescue the girls, Merianne and Thorne must risk death at the hands of the Trueblood, who will kill to protect their lies.

Read the excerpt.

UNACCEPTABLE RISK (cyberpunk) - Jeanette Grey

Waking up on a street corner with her brain wiring fried to a crisp, she figures she must have gotten close this time. There’s only one man she trusts to pull her back from the brink: a tuner who can retrieve the evidence hidden deep in the recesses of her mind. A man she dares not let too close to her heart.

When Edison downloads a secret SynDate schematic from Plix’s burnt-out circuitry, he knows with dreadful finality that nothing-not even the fiery kiss he’s been holding back for years-will stop her from pursuing her quest past the point of insanity.

All he can do, as he helps her plan her final mission, is ease her pain, watch her back and hope one of them doesn’t pay with their lives.

Read the excerpt.

ALIEN PROLIFERATION – Gini Koch

A new set of conspiracies, old enemies, and a dangerous new drug being tested on unwilling subjects are more than enough to deal with, but new parents Jeff and Kitty Martini have an even bigger problem -- the bad guys want their newborn baby.

NO LIMITS (erotic) - Jenna McCormick

All Genevieve Luzon wants is to be loved by one man, a seemingly impossible task in New-New York City at the start of the twenty second century. Sure, she can buy sex as easily as order a pizza on a Friday night, but finding a forever kind of love among her self-centered peers is no easy feat for the unemployed off-world vacation coordinator. When an old friend offers her the position of secret shopper to test out the male prostitutes, Gen can’t think of a good reason to refuse. Hell, if she can’t find Mr. Right, she might as well try on a sampler of Mr. Right Nows.

Yet the perks of her new position don’t compare to the strange attraction she has, not for one of the prostitutes, but a candle that seems to warm places of her she never knew existed. When a man appears out of the flame, Gen is sure she's found the one. Rhys is an empath, made a slave by the Illustra Corporation and he’s everything Gen could ever want. Except available. Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. He must try to free his people, consequences be damned. Now, Gen must choose between turning her back on the only man she’s ever loved and the monumental task he has set for himself. Should she risk her life fighting a war hidden from polite society against those who wish to control us all?

Is love really worth fighting for?

Forthcoming

In the comment thread of my Sci-Fi Romances With People Of Color? post, visitor Michelle noted that Clare Dargin’s COLD WARRIORS included a heroine of color. After contacting the author, I learned that her book will be re-released by Decadent Publishing (date TBA). Very cool!

She also provided me with the blurb so I could share it with you:

When Caitlin Driskoll is awakened from a cryogenic stasis, she’s got a lot of adjusting to do. It’s a new century and the planet is at war. Once married to a Navy JAG, she now experiences life from the viewpoint of a Jarhead, and the view isn’t pleasant.

Colonel Medoro Keegan lost the two most important things in his life during his Marine career: his wife to friendly fire, and his ability to fly combat missions. Now, he’s stuck aboard the Blanchard as the XO. The Corps is the only family he has left and he’s not about to lose the last thing he values.

Until he meets Caitlin, who isn’t shy about telling Medoro what she thinks about his Marines. How can such beauty wrapped in an icy body have so much fire?

It’s the future, and a new kind of prejudice has replaced the racial prejudice Caitlin experienced in the last century. After all, when you’ve been given a second chance at life, you are expendable.

***

You can also read a six-sentence excerpt of COLD WARRIORS by clicking here. I’m on the list for an eARC so this book will be in my 2012 TBR pile.

Sci-fi romance version of Meg Cabot’s THE PRINCESS DIARIES?

Via Pauline B. Jones (STEAMROLLED), I learned about CENTAURI DAWN, an ebook described as a science fiction romance and listed for .99 cents at Amazon. The premise struck me as a futuristic version of THE PRINCESS DIARIES:

Audra is a normal grad student in law school in Boulder, Colorado. Until the day she finds out she isn't. She's a princess from the planet Centauri. Her mission, whether or not she chooses to accept it, is to marry an alien and save the world, in order to save her family.

Darius is charged with delivering his brother's bride home to Centauri, ready to be queen. Falling in love isn't just forbidden, it's a death sentence for him and for his world.

I had to chuckle a bit. Anyway, thought you might like to know about it.

SFR Holiday Events

Jessica E. Subject’s “Light Up The Holidays With Sci-Fi Romance” starts today! Visit her site for a month-long celebration of sci-fi romance festivities. Click here for the complete schedule.

It’s also time to crack open your e-readers for The Galaxy Express’s 3^rd annual SFR Holiday Blitz! A number of bloggers and authors have teamed up this holiday season so you can enter for a chance to win a variety of science fiction romance ebooks.

The SFR Holiday Blitz will launch at 3 pm on Sunday, December 11, 2011.

[Edited to add]

RT Reviewer’s Choice Awards

Here are the Futuristic Romance nominees from the RT Reviewer’s Choice Awards:

ALIEN IN THE FAMILY
Gini Koch, DAW, (April 2011)

SEDUCE ME IN DREAMS
Jacquelyn Frank, BALLANTINE, (April 2011)

ENEMY GAMES
Marcella Burnard, BERKLEY SENSATION, (May 2011)

BORN OF SHADOWS
Sherrilyn Kenyon, GRAND CENTRAL, (May 2011)

NIGHTFALL
Ellen Connor, BERKLEY SENSATION, (June 2011)

DARK TASTE OF RAPTURE
Gena Showalter, POCKET STAR, (September 2011)

BODY THIEF
C.J. Barry, BERKLEY SENSATION, (November 2011)

And in the Indie Press/Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic category:

SILVER SHARK
Ilona Andrews, SELF-PUBLISH, (September 2011)

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

Industry

I’m a bit late reporting on this, but here’s round two of better late than never: in October, Carina Press put out a Science Fiction Holiday Submissions Call:

Carina is looking for science fiction novellas with a winter holiday theme, to be published digitally both individually and as a collection in December 2012. The novellas should be from 18,000 to 35,000 words and feature science fiction elements as integral to the novella. The stories do not need to be romance, or even have romance elements, but can be straight science fiction, or science fiction with romantic elements, and can also feature elements of mystery, thriller, horror or other sub-genres. Additionally, there is no set heat level for these stories, so they can have no sex, or be ultra-sexy, or anything in between.

The submission deadline is March 15, 2012. See the Carina blog post for full details.

I found a recent interview with Samhain Publishing at the blog of Ciara Knight. This covers everything about them in a nutshell.

I read and enjoyed this book! Alien artifact fun.

In The Business Rusch: Free, Kristine Katherine Rusch offers great advice for authors (and publishers) about running a free ebook campaign:

Back to the whole concept of free, however. Let me share what I’ve learned over the past few weeks.
Use it as your guide if you want to offer a free e-book some time in the future.

1. Make sure you have more than one title before you offer a book for free.

2. Make sure that you have titles in the same genre, and if possible, make sure they’re in the same series.

3. Limit the amount of time the title is free. I have a date with both Kindle and iTunes to check the free listings once per week—and I know I’m not alone. This will introduce a lot of readers to your work, although maybe not right away.

4. Expect blowback. Readers who get books for free are a vocal bunch. Someone will hate your book. Others will love it. A few will be offended because the book isn’t what they expect. A friend of mine calls this the Netflix effect. His theory works like this: Most of the popular movies on Netflix have ratings of 5-7.5 (out of 10) because when you have hundreds (if not thousands) of people ranking the movie, the spread will work out so that the movie will rate right in the middle. Some will like it, some will hate it, some will love it. It all averages out.

5. Remember that this is a promotion. It’s called a loss leader—meaning that you expect to lose money on this title to lead readers to your other work. Do this only when you can afford a promotion, and not before. Think of it as advertising, and like all advertising, it’s a bit of a gamble.

Personally, I think a free SFR ebook campaign is a great idea because it would help raise the visibility of not only the author, but the subgenre as well. Authors, if you ever do a free SFR ebook promotion in conjunction with your publisher, please let me know so I can help spread the word.

Here’s the latest news in the Amazing Stories re-launch:

ROBERT SILVERBERG JOINS AMAZING STORIES EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Experimenter Publishing Corp, Hillsboro, NH, November 24, 2011 - Robert Silverberg, award winning author and SFWA Grand Master, has joined Barry Malzberg, Joe Wrzos, Patrick Price and Ted White on the Amazing Stories Project Editorial Advisory Board.

Mr. Silverberg, multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of The Majipoor Chronicles , Hawksbill Station, Dying Inside (to name just a very few) and editor of the seminal anthology The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, was selected for SFWA’s Grand Master Award in 2004 and has been a fixture of the genre since the 1950s; among his many achievements, he is particularly noted in SF Fandom for his role as Toastmaster of the Hugo Award ceremonies.

His newest book is Tales of Majipoor, a collection of stories set on the planet he first wrote about in his 1981 best-seller, Lord Valentine's Castle. Subterranean Press will publish a limited first edition of it in 2012, followed by the regular trade edition from Berkley.

Mr. Silverberg, whose fiction first appeared in Amazing Stories in 1956, will serve in an advisory capacity and will author an updated version of his Introduction to Amazing Stories for the first issue of the magazine’s latest incarnation, slated to appear sometime in 2012.

The Amazing Stories Project can be followed by visiting

www.AmazingStoriesMag.com; a Facebook page devoted to the subject can be found here.

***

Authors blogging

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Jeanette Grey’s Uncacceptable Risk Blog Tour, which will run December 9-13. This includes a stop right here at The Galaxy Express on the 15th.

Diane Dooley (BLUE GALAXY) speculates about the popularity of novellas in A Novella Renaissance?.

Kate Elliott (JARAN) imagines a new frontier in If I rebooted Star Trek. Heck, I’d watch it!

Author appearances

On December 10, Gini Koch will be ~~juggling seven alligators dressed in tweed suits~~ signing copies of ALIEN PROLIFERATION at San Diego’s Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore from 3-5pm.

Author interviews

PHOENIX RISING author Corrina Lawson was recently interviewed at Write angles Conference 2011.

SF Signal interviews author, scientist, and scholar Athena Andreadis.

Promotion opportunity for authors of SFR

From Maria Zannini’s (TRUE BELIEVERS) Newsy Links comes the, er, news of Cate Master’s forthcoming TBR blog, which will launch in 2012. The tagline is “Meet the authors who’ll make your list grow” and will be “Highlighting books you haven't yet read but would love to…”

Authors interested in having their work featured can contact Ms. Masters about scheduling a spot. Details are here. Paid advertising services are also available.

Evolution of the romance heroine

In And This Heroine Is Just Right, Dear Author’s Jane featured an interesting post about the nature of heroines in romance:

The truth is that the female role in romance is not so easily categorized as the male role. That allows for quite a bit of freedom but I wonder if we aren’t limiting ourselves as readers, requiring the females to fit into certain categories and within certain boundaries.

She also speculated about the success of heroine-centric stories:

My belief is that readers have embraced cross over fiction because those stories are generally more female centric and contains stories about women who have more agency. It is expected in urban fantasy, particularly first person urban fantasy, that the female protagonist be proactive, have power in her own right, and has the ability to exercise choice and influence her own outcomes.

Hmm, what if we substituted “science fiction romance” for “urban fantasy”? Is it just me, or are there some interesting similarities?

Heroines have been on my mind a lot lately, so I added my two cents. Let me just say that I applaud authors who have taken risks with their SFR heroines.

Now I turn the mike over to you. Step up and share your science fiction romance news or links!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Jessica E. Subject Presents: “Light up the holidays with Sci-Fi Romance”

2011-12-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Isn’t this fabulous? From December 1-30, 2011, Author Jessica E.Subject (CELESTIAL SEDUCTION) is hosting a holiday celebration with a sci-fi romance focus:

Learn what your favorite SFR characters do over the holidays, read some exclusive short stories, and catch excerpts from some awesome books! Oh, and there might be some yummy recipes and fabulous prizes as well.

All kinds of authors are involved including yours truly. On December 6, you can read a free short story I wrote for this event: "Fortune Cat's Visit" is a near-future sci-fi romance (heat level: sweet).

"Light up the holidays with Sci-Fi Romance" starts today! Click here for the complete schedule and featured authors.

See you there!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Plagiarism Allegations Regarding Patricia Waddell’s TRUE DECEPTION

2011-11-30T19:27:00.000-05:00

Reports are surfacing regarding alleged plagiarism by Patricia Waddell, author of the sci-fi romances TRUE BLOOD and TRUE DECEPTION.

The book in question is TRUE DECEPTION. I learned about this from a post at Dear Author:

Jeremy Dun has become a crusader against plagiarism. Dun is a well known author of thriller fiction. He was asked to blurb a book and gave a glowing one. After the book was published, it quickly became clear that the book was heavily plagiarized. This has led Dun to seek out other instances of plagiarism and it appears to be reaching into some of the highest echelons of publishing. The latest alleged perpetrator is Patricia Waddell who has reportedly taken passages directly from Robert Ludlum books.

One commenter at Jeremy Dun’s site noted specific passages. There’s also speculation there that the reason TRUE DECEPTION’s allegedly plagiarized passages escaped detection for so long is because it’s a paranormal romance.

This is very discouraging news. Patricia Waddell is with Macmillan. Is it too much to hope for that the publisher will address this issue?

I have TRUE BLOOD on my bookshelf but haven’t read it yet. Now, I’m hesitating to even start it given these allegations. I haven’t read any of Robert Ludlum’s books so I wouldn’t be able to recognize his work if I saw it, but knowing plagiarized passages might exist in the science fiction romances of Patricia Waddell is a deterrent.

Plagiarism is a terrible disservice to readers. I’m mourning the loss of a potentially enjoyable science fiction romance. What are you thoughts?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

An interview with REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW Author A.R. Norris, & Giveaway

2011-11-29T18:00:00.005-05:00

One of the themes in A.R. Norris’ REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW is the nature of ethnicity in a futuristic setting. Any time we have a conversation about ethnicity in science fiction romance is a good thing, especially since this subgenre has the potential to offer readers so much in terms of diversity.

With that in mind, I invited A.R. Norris to answer some questions about her recent release. The author has also provided a digital copy of her book, which I'll give away to one lucky passenger (details follow the interview).

To set the stage, here’s the story description:

The crew of Daring Star salvages a load capsule and finds the beaten body of Jetta McCree. Turns out Jetta's discovered her employer has developed a biochemical droplet and is contracted with terrorists to manufacture on a large scale. Captain Noah Bonney fights off corporate security forces, her ex-husband's pirate fleets, and carnivorous beasts to keep the young woman safe and transport her to the safety of the Imperial Home Port.

But the adventure brings to surface demons Noah's been suppressing and secrets from her people's history she's tried to forget. Now, she must face them if she's to reconcile with her daughter and keep the love of her life from leaving. With 450 years under her belt and nothing but eternity ahead of her, she's built a thick shell… one she's not sure she can break.

Now for my interview with A.R. Norris:

The Galaxy Express: Which tags apply to REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW?

A.R. Norris: SF, romance and of course their love child SFR. There's also military SF and a good dose of space opera.

TGE: REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW is about the adventures of Captain Noah Bonney after she rescues a young woman with a dangerous secret. But what is it really about? What kind of subtext can readers expect from the story?

ARN: Well, there are two main futurist concepts that weave throughout Revelations of Tomorrow, ethnicity and genetic engineering. There is a lot of alien diversity in SF, but other than hair color and eye color there's not always diversity within the human race. Did we all just blend together into one race? One ethnicity? Did we lose our uniqueness along the way? Don't get me wrong, I love the alien worlds, species, and whatnot in many of the SF stories today. I just sometimes feel that the uniqueness and diversity of humans is not given enough credit and celebration.

TGE: Who is Captain Noah Bonney, and what does she do?

ARN: Noah Bonney captains the Merchant Marine vessel Daring Star. Noah and the crew of Daring Star salvage a load capsule and find the beaten body of Jetta McCree. Noah fights off terrorist groups, corporate security forces, her ex-husband's pirate fleets, and carnivorous beasts to keep the young woman safe and transport her to the safety of the Imperial Home Port.

TGE: Please tell us a little about the romance in the story.

ARN: The key romance is between Noah and Lieutenant Matthew Amherst. They are already lovers at the start of the story, but it's not all roses.

Noah is also a Telomere, which is a genetically engineered race that doesn't age. Telomeres have become rare due to social warfare, genocide acts and unforeseen genetic repercussions, leaving Noah as the oldest. Needless to say, Noah comes with emotional baggage.

This has created a barrier between her and Matthew. The love story is how, and if, she can come to terms with her demons and accept the love Matthew wants to give her, and be capable to return it fully.

TGE: REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW is the first book in your planned Telomere Trilogy. Describe the universe you created for this story.

*Rubs hands*

Because I was exploring such biggies as genetic engineering and ethnicity in the future, I wanted to keep the technology pretty common/simple. For transportation and travel I went with the quantum-transportation theory. There's still a bit of old fashion space travel, to reach each network point and for the "leave the train station and get to town" parts.

The overarching government is an Empire. From the government "center" the galaxy divides like a sliced pie into 8 regions, which are governed by Kingdoms. Each planet and satellite (artificial or natural) is run by a Provincial Authority.

The Excellencies have established the Merchant Marines, who provide security to the galactic trade routes. The Kingdoms have their own military forces, Guard Sectors. And, yes, you guessed it; the Provincial Authorities usually have their own security force as well. As any self-respecting Empire, there is a lot of feuding: Citizens against Province, Province against Kingdom, Kingdom against Empire. Province against Province, Kingdom against Kingdom...well, you get the picture.

TGE: What appealed to you about making ethnicity a significant element/theme of your story?

ARN: The main appeal was a push back on the general community discussion about how the multiple ethnicities are merging into one.

One, with the advances and excitement of genetic engineering and my SF geeky hope we will get to space and expand makes it implausible to me. Two, There is no core difference between the various ethnic groups. We are all homo-sapiens. So why did we end up so different appearance-wise and social structure-wise? Two key reasons, for me anyways:

1. Groups break off from their parent society (or rebel them) to secure their race, culture and/or traditions. When the masses start to pressure them to meld, they leave or set hard boundaries to keep the status quo.

2. Geographic and distance barriers promote the separation of populated areas, in which the pool of genes is limited and create a defined ethnic group. The barrier also limits exposure to other ways of thinking, religiously and morally.

No, no. The human race will not evolve into a single ethnicity or social structure. And really, who would want it to? The world is not perfect and we don't all get along, but do we really want a single cardboard society?

So, I tried to show a future where distinct and precise cultures exist, and try to co-exist. It’s conservative in many ways, yet progressive in others. Those pimples -- racism and prejudice -- exist in many grey shades, ranging from the common fear of other races by newly exposed characters all the way to full ugly hatred that spews into antagonist actions.

TGE: Is there anything else you’d like to share about REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW?

ARN: Here’s an excerpt: This scene is where Brenda Bonney, a vessel doctor, runs into Captain Makai Yourimoc. It's a very subtle and understated experience to me, in that someone recognizes the uniqueness of another and is what made him attractive to her.

*****

Brenda meandered through the vessel's hallways. She'd never really meandered before, she realized with a quiet laugh. Everything was always a rush or with purpose. Outside, space slowly whirled around. Or actually, the vessel's passenger casing whirled around the core vessel frame. Further down the corridor a large man leaned against a view window. His presence, the mood emitting from him, compelled her to stop.

He was almost in complete profile, angled a little toward her direction. Space shimmered beyond the window, and accented his frame. Tall, wide, and imposing were the words she thought of when she looked upon him. Adding the shaved head, black ceremonial ring-braided beard, and chiseled cheekbones, she included strong and willful. Spotting the curved sword and StarStrike on his hip, she added another word. Lethal.

Yet, he seemed broken, she observed with a twinge in her heart. Guilt etched through the wide features of his face. Even from the short distance and partial profile, she saw the exaggerated almond-shaped eyes brimming with moisture. His face set, exposing a terrible grief.

She considered turning back the way she'd come, to leave him to his ghosts, but his head tipped her way and those deep brown eyes looked at her. Into her. Her heart lodged in her throat and she smiled meekly.

"I'm sorry. I… I was trying to figure out if I should turn around or not." She vaguely gestured down the hall and then let her hand drop.

He seemed to force the grief back and rewarded her with a gallant smile. She liked the dimples that popped right below those hard cheekbones. It softened him. His voice resonated in a rich tenor in the rough Yuriotz speech. Pleasant warmth spread along her abdomen and sent a delicious shiver along her spine. She fought off the urge to close her eyes and soak in the almost tangible texture of the words.

On her neck the linguistic collar translated. "Was lost in thought. I apologize for the uncomfortable setting."

She shrugged. "No apology needed. Really." She took the last few steps toward him and offered her hand. "Dr. Brenda Bonney. I'm with the Daring Star crew."

"Captain Makai Yourimoc of the Lady Victory." He tapped his thigh in an absent manner and then stepped back with what seemed like reluctance. "I better return to duties. Welcome aboard, Dr. Bonney, albeit belated on my part.”

***

Also, these are the places where readers can find REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Desert Breeze Website, All Romance Books

Ms. Norris, thanks for your time, and for your art.

And now for the giveaway:

Leave a comment and be entered for a chance to win a digital copy of A.R. Norris' REVELATIONS OF TOMORROW. To make it more interesting, I'd like to hear your ideas about how you'd like to see science fiction romance explore ethnicity/diversity.

Format available: ePub

The deadline to enter is 12 midnight EST on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

QUEENIE'S BRIGADE Giveaway at Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews

2011-11-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

I'm honored to be a featured author at Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews. I answered some fun questions and while there you can enter for a chance to win a copy of QUEENIE'S BRIGADE, my science fiction romance from Red Sage Publishing.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Is It Too Soon To Define The Promise of Sci-Fi Romance?

2011-11-27T19:48:00.000-05:00

In a recent conversation I had with a science fiction romance author, we discussed the issue of branding. The conversation reminded me about an article I read in 2009 by Malle Vallik, Harlequin’s Director of Digital Content & Social Media.

In What the Heck is this Author Brand? Ms. Vallik stated something interesting in the comment section about the evolution of an author’s brand:

I really don’t know how long it takes to establish an author brand (Debbie and Nora are both at 100 plus books, but I think their brands have been established for some time). I think it takes a body of work and I think it is the rare person who could really define their brand after one book. Some become bestsellers with book #1 and others build to it.

I would instead concentrate on what Elise and Theresa suggest about how to figure out your brand. But in answer I think you need a few books. Perhaps it is truer to say that by book 5 you should be able to express, understand your author brand.

I’ve blogged about branding before (Mission Possible: The Branding of a Subgenre and my three part series on Branding Science Fiction Romance), but a couple of things prompted me to revisit the issue. One is the quote above. The second is ebooks.

First I’d like to ponder the evolution of an author brand and its relation to science fiction romance. If it’s true that it takes both longevity and a body of work to establish an author brand, then the current batch of authors writing science fiction romance are still in their infancies. Yes, SFR dates back decades (and in the romance genre, to the 1980s). But since then it’s undergone a makeover. Starting in the 2000s, it’s almost as though the subgenre began starting over from scratch.

What’s different now is that many of its authors these days are bona fide fans of both SF and romance—the same goes for editors, particularly those working for digital publishers. This aspect often manifests itself in the stories released currently. SFR, especially those released by publishers of romance, is a lot shinier than it was twenty and thirty years ago.

What that means, though, is that quite a few authors writing science fiction romance these days have yet to build up a body of work, which leaves the branding of their books a work-in-progress.

And if they do have at least five or more SFR books out, the subgenre branding is still also in its infancy. SFR’s niche status, especially in the absence of a clear brand, could be holding some authors back from well-deserved recognition. Other than a blend of SF and romance, what does science fiction romance promise readers? What is it known for? Is the SF-romance mixture enough of a brand to draw more interest, or should another ingredient be added?

Ebooks are creating an interesting situation because authors have much more freedom to diversify these days. They can write in multiple genres and it’s also possible to be successful doing so. In fact, there are more “authors of SFR” than there are authors whose have written only SFR and in part this is because ebooks give them the freedom to write across genres if they are so inclined (freedom that was previously restricted by the limitations of the mainstream print distribution system). Does such diversification impact author brand?

Also, even within the SFR subgenre, authors have written a dizzying range of stories, and the potential for more of the same is very high. Then there’s the fact that a single author can deliver entertaining stories in a variety of settings, from space opera to steampunk to near-future to superhuman. Not to mention the choices of characters, plots, heat level, etc.

Given where science fiction romance is on its evolutionary timeline, I don’t know if SFR or certain of its newer authors can claim a clear, set brand—but that’s okay. This is a great time to experiment with a variety of stories, styles, and voices. Perhaps we are still deep in the process of bringing science fiction romance to life.

If you were to ask me what I hope will be the brand for SFR then my answer would be that science fiction romance promises a new frontier of diverse, cutting-edge stories. Within that frontier, authors would stake out territories and define them with their own individual brands of adventure.

What are your thoughts about SFR and author branding in the age of ebooks? Do you think a subgenre brand exists already for SFR or have we yet to define it? Authors, what's your take on Malle Vallik's observations?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

A Salute To Anne McCaffrey: April 1, 1926 – November 21, 2011

2011-11-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

As you probably know, SF/F giant Anne McCaffrey passed away November 21 at the age of 85.

Like many of you, I grew up reading her work, in particular the Pern novels and the Crystal Singer trilogy. I remember being very impressed with her strong, capable heroines. I’ll always carry with me the memory of Lessa from DRAGONFLIGHT. She’s a survivor, a fighter, a warrior, a lover. Characters like Lessa went a long way toward shaping my taste for heroines in both science fiction and romance.

Despite the role that forced seduction played in the romance between Lessa and F’lar, that’s not what I remember about her. I remember her being a heroine with agency, one who comes into a considerable amount of power. She then learns to channel her powers for the greater good. A great character arc, and pretty subversive stuff for 1968.

Words can’t express what Anne McCaffrey’s work meant to me (well, perhaps this blog does!). She was a true pioneer in the SF/F field, and I’ll always be grateful for her perseverance, vision, and amazing storytelling ability.

If you have any special memories of Anne McCaffrey’s work, I’d love to hear about them.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Interview With Ophidia Cox, Author of THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW

2011-11-22T19:06:00.000-05:00

If I were to tag THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW (Lyrical Press), I’d call it a near-future erotic BDSM science fiction mystery with lots of circus freaks and a touch of romance. That sure is a mouthful, but author Ophidia Cox packs the story with mucho entertainment and other wild stuff. I had no idea where the story was going, not for one second—but for me, that’s a good thing.

Here’s the blurb:

Witness for yourself the most depraved exhibition of human sexuality ever permitted on tour.

The Cyberkink Sideshow has come to town, and not everyone is prepared to tolerate it on their home turf. After receiving reports of electronic contraband being smuggled in by the sideshow, Constable Sylvia Price goes undercover to investigate. Once part of the sideshow, she finds herself drawn in to a wild and kinky relationship with vivacious and voluptuous ringmaster, Victor Maynard.

But as events unfold, it's apparent that someone is trying to frame Victor and the sideshow. Will Sylvia be able to solve the mystery before the show is ruined?

WARNING: Contains BDSM, ménage, exhibitionism, anal, sounding, electrosex, and general kink.

I’ll give it to you straight up:

THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW is a weird, kinky story coupled with a rather sweet coming-out-of-the-closet story for Sylvia. There’s also lots of dry, understated humor and gateway protagonist action that tempers the strangeness.

While the story does feature a strong attraction between Sylvia and hero Victor—along with a courtship of sorts and a Happily For Now—the focus is more on their sexual journey together and Sylvia’s sexual awakenings.

THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW is my first foray into BDSM territory, which I’ve been meaning to try for a while. Let me tell ya—I sure learned a lot about the BDSM lifestyle I didn’t know before! For me, the extraordinary nature of the futuristic sideshow circus setting made the BDSM element more interesting than might otherwise have been the case. I’m sure the story is meant to titillate, but I was heavily tapping into the social commentary and enjoyed that aspect most of all.

The story has a few cyberpunk elements, one of which is integral to solving the mystery. I also enjoyed reading about how certain technology was adapted for entertainment purposes in the story’s “Cyberkink Sideshow.” When it comes to plots in science fiction romance, I don’t often think about the role of futuristic tech in the entertainment (outside of throwaway passages referring to a character watching a “vid”), so it made for interesting reading. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind reading more SFR stories that feature entertainment-related plots.

Because THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW goes to some pretty edgy places, I invited Ophidia Cox aboard for an interview so I could pick her brain about the story behind the story.

Here is what she had to say:

The Galaxy Express: The idea of circus “freaks” lends itself to any number and type of stories, past, present, or future. What in particular inspired you to write THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW?

Ophidia Cox: Two main things. The first was a Victorian photograph that appeared on a blog called ‘Men in Full’. This picture was part of a series taken by Charles Eisenmann of nude sideshow freaks, and showed circus fat man Chauncey Morlan. Although the photographer claimed the photographs were for purposes of scientific curiosity, the way the people were depicted to me had a sense of voyeuristic sensuality.

The second was a memory I have. In the story, the Cyberkink Sideshow is one of many attractions at something called the National Garden Festival. The original National Garden Festivals were a series of events meant to regenerate old industrial sites in England, where huge areas were converted into beautiful parks full of sculptures and flower displays and exhibits and fairground rides.

Chauncey Morlan

I went to one of these festivals when I was nine years old and I thought it was the most amazing and weird thing ever. There was a rollercoaster and a Ferris wheel and a monorail that looked like a caterpillar, and there were all these places you could go into that were creepy, a bit like ‘haunted houses’, but educational at the same time. For example, there was an electricity hut where you would go through dark corridors and there would be forked lightning effects and thunder noises, and a room full of plasma globes you could touch.

And there was a ‘healthy lifestyle’ hut where you had to choose doors to go through ― kind of patronising really, but bizarre and a lot of fun: the ‘smoking’ choice was a smelly room was full of punchbag-like foam cigarettes hanging from the ceiling that you had to fight your way through, with recordings of people coughing playing in the background.

So from this I had the idea of a new National Garden Festival, rather more high-tech than the original ones. The sideshow would be a highly controversial adult-only attraction, featuring all the same sorts of freaks as would be in its Victorian counterpart, with one difference — in this sideshow, the exhibits would be uninhibited. The rude personal questions the public might think to ask, such as ‘how do they have sex?’ would be part of the display. And all this would be completely consensual, with the show being owned and run by the performers.

TGE: To me, the sideshow acts featured in the story have a strong sense of authenticity. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they have real-life counterparts. What, if any, type of research did you do for this story?

OC: When I had the idea for the story, I was reluctant to write a vanilla erotic romance book that was purely about a woman and a sideshow fat man as I suspected that would be too niche and a lot of the traditional audience for this genre would be turned off by it. I had the idea of the police detective looking for futuristic contraband as a subplot as something that would hopefully add a bit of pacing and tension.

The publisher of The Cyberkink Sideshow, Lyrical Press, was at the time specifically looking for BDSM erotica. I’ve read BDSM magazines before, and something I found particularly interesting is that often in the personals you see in these magazines, people are asking for a partner with a particular fetish and actually specifying that the sex, age, and appearance of that partner are unimportant. Someone I know who enjoys BDSM porn says he prefers the women in it because they don’t have monstrous breasts like in ordinary porn. From this I get the impression that with a lot of BDSM people, the fetish or the act is so much more important to them than simple ideas of what’s conventionally attractive. I hope that by catering for the BDSM market, the book will be enjoyed by fetishists who are more flexible about the characters’ appearances as well as with people who like fat men.

Vaughn the dungeonmaster, a secondary character who appears in the ménage scenes, is outwardly very much a sub’s generic fantasy. He plays the visual aspect of his role well, with leather clothing and a pierced nipple, but he also has a rather disconcerting sense of humour and salt-of-the-earth character, and he designs his own torture equipment and runs a business.

One thing I did research a lot was the urethral sounding and p-spot stuff. Looking on the Internet, this sort of penetration enjoyment seems to be discreetly popular amongst quite a lot of men. I think it’s quite an interesting fetish and that it would be nice to include it in the book. The electrosex sounds kind of futuristic, but electrosex actually already exists and you can buy equipment for it very similar to that described in the book.

TGE: Where did you get the idea for the cybernetic link Sylvia has with her dog, Max?

OC: Someone was telling me about a scientist who had spent millions of pounds designing and making a machine that could detect drugs and illnesses on people’s breath. I thought, rather than doing all this, why not just train a dog to identify smells? After all, the sense of smell of a dog is extremely sensitive, and dogs are smart and cuddly and machines aren't. I put in the idea of having the police officer be able to interface to the dog and identify what he was smelling because it was a fun futuristic idea that made the crime detection side of the story that bit more immersive.

TGE: I enjoyed reading about plump hero Victor Maynard. And he’s really plump, namely a Sumo-wrestler-style of plump. However, even in his case, beauty is only skin deep. What appeals to you about heroes like Victor? How are they different from the more traditional types of romance heroes?

OC: I like fat bodies because they are voluptuous and sexy and tactile and extravagant, and, well, big and imposing in the case of men. Victor is a very confident person who accepts and celebrates his own body. Frequently in the book he takes on the role of ‘sub’ ― being tied up in potentially very humiliating positions and handing over total control to other characters such as Sylvia and the dungeonmaster. But he also takes on the role of dom sometimes, and in this position he can be assertive and exude sexual power.

I find a lot of romance heroes unsatisfying, firstly because I don’t care for the stringy/muscly bodybuilder look and find either more filled-out or svelte male bodies more attractive, and secondly in that they simply go way too far down the assertive side of trying to be hard men. You get the impression that these men would squirm and feel embarrassed and emasculated if someone tied them up. They don’t have that confidence. There’s this popular idea of ‘Alpha Hero’ the psychology of which can be traced back to men in prisons fighting to set up a brutal hierarchy amongst themselves, never showing any vulnerability. To willingly show vulnerability takes a lot of self-acceptance and trust. There are other ways to be manly or heroic apart from pumping iron and looking lumpy.

[Heather's note: Click here to view more images of Chauncey Morlan, including some NSFW shots of him in his birthday suit.]

TGE: Which movies, television shows, or books would make good companion entertainment for THE CYBERKINK SIDESHOW?

OC: If you want a BDSM book, Story of O is the groundbreaker. Sadly there aren’t any men showing vulnerability in it though. If you like fat men, Robbie Coltrane on the film Nuns on the Run is damn sexy, even if he does spend half the film in drag.

Robbie Coltrane in all of his floppy hair glory

TGE: What do you think readers have to look forward to in niche erotica/ romance along the same lines as The Cyberkink Sideshow?

OC: I think the way publishing is at the moment is an exciting time for niche fiction of all kinds. On one hand, traditional publishing is contracting and editors are taking on fewer and fewer books, and the books they do buy, if they buy anything at all from new writers, need to be in genres that are easy to market and sell. That’s bad news for anything alternative or niche or otherwise off the beaten path, unless the author is already firmly established and selling well.

On the other hand, electronic publishers are really starting to get a foothold in the market and several have been making a tidy profit for a number of years. Lyrical Press, the publisher of The Cyberkink Sideshow, includes the slogan ‘If you dare to write it, we dare to consider it’ on its submission guidelines page. It even seems to make exceptions for standard guidelines of good taste where a taboo topic is justified in terms of a story or setting, for example, one of Lyrical’s books is about an incestuous relationship set in ancient Egypt, a culture where incestuous marriage is historically justified. A small publisher that concentrates on electronic doesn’t have to rely on selling huge numbers of books in order to make a profit. It can choose to publish quality fiction in less prominent areas and sell it to the small market that’s interested in it. I hope small publishers will continue to make available niche fiction for people with non-mainstream tastes.

TGE: Where can readers find you and your books?

OC: As is traditional for BDSM writers, I’m kind of ‘underground’ lol. Or perhaps it’s more because I’ve not got round to sorting out a website yet. I do write other books under various pseudonyms, but they’re intended for different (tamer!) audiences. However, I do currently have one other piece of fiction out: a dystopian tragic romance called ‘Slaves of our Servants’. It’s a short story available in electronic format on Amazon and Smashwords.

Ms. Cox, thanks for your time, and for your art.

***

Now I'm off to hunt down a copy of NUNS ON THE RUN...

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Tagging Samhain Publishing’s CYBERSHOCK Anthology

2011-11-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

I’ve read Samhain’s CYBERSHOCK anthology of cyberpunk romances and thought I’d tag them for you. Each story was unique enough that I thought it'd be fun to present a few of the distinctions for readers who like to pick and choose their anthology stories—especially since these are ebooks that can be purchased individually.

These are non-spoiler tags meant to impart the general flavor of each story. Here are the stories and my tags in alphabetical order by title:

GHOST IN THE MACHINE by Barbara J. Hancock

Setting: cyberpunk; post-apocalyptic; world was devastated by invasion of sentient bio-computer; a dash of biopunk; paranormal veneer in terms of language used to describe setting, characters

Heroine: Bet is on a mission to rescue brother; she’s a survivor trying to stay alive in a treacherous world; carries a cool gun--and isn't afraid to use it

Hero: Gabriel appears in the guise of an angel avatar; mysterious; ideal for readers who enjoy stories with “ordinary” heroines paired with “extraordinary” heroes.

Tone: atmospheric; eerie

Action-adventure quotient: low; focus is more on the quest

Villain: Earth is under the control of a “biomass” known as the SoulEater. Conceptually, a horrific one, but the description isn’t graphic.

Heat level: moderate

GRIDLOCK by Nathalie Gray

Setting: cyberpunk; dystopian; oppressive Big Brother type government known as the “Grid.”

Heroine: Steel is a scruffy, tortured heroine; drug runner; has piercings and tattoos in the Lisbeth Salander mode (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO)

Hero: Dante is a cyborg with special powers and bent on revenge

Tone: gritty, dark, edgy; graphic violence

Action adventure quotient: high-octane

Villain: Two, actually: Creepy scientist and an all-knowing AI

Heat level: moderate

ZERO FACTOR by Stacy Gail

Setting: cyberpunk; post-apocalyptic; humanity re-emerging from ashes of the “Decade of Quakes,” a wave of city-leveling bombings across North America; military SF flavor

Heroine: Via is a “psionic,” who possesses psychic powers that must be kept hidden lest she become a government pawn

Hero: Locke is a military soldier with cybernetic enhancements. He’s on a mission to determine why his commander wants to kill him

Tone: mildly suspenseful

Action-adventure quotient: low; focus is more on the romance & character introspection

Villain: Fynn is a ruthless military colonel bent on maintaining his vision of social order

Heat level: sensual (features a bit more in the love scene department than the other two stories); psychic sex

***
I had fun tagging them (and reading them!). Let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Jeanette Grey's Forthcoming "Unacceptable Risk Blog Tour"

2011-11-17T19:00:00.001-05:00

UNACCEPTABLE RISK (Samhain Publishing) is a cyberpunk romance novella by Jeanette Grey that will release on December 13, 2011. To celebrate the release, the author is launching a virtual blog tour that will run from December 9 through December 23. Each stop will feature an ebook giveaway.

One of her stops will be The Galaxy Express on 12/15, when you can read my interview with her. Below is the complete schedule, so mark your calendars:

12/9/2011 - Laura Kaye
12/10/2011 – Sam, Elena and Rhonda’s Awesomeness
12/11/2011 - Coffee Time Romance
12/12/2011 - The Book Nympho
12/13/2011 - Smart Girls Love SciFi
12/14/2011 - Sarah Grimm
12/15/2011 - Galaxy Express
12/16/2011 - Jessica Subject
12/17/2011 - Love to Read Reviews
12/18/2011 – TBD
12/19/2011 - Sandra Sookoo
12/20/2011 - Cari Quinn
12/21/2011 - You Gotta Read Reviews
12/22/2011 - Book Lover’s, Inc.
12/23/2011 - Romancing the Book

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Sharon Lee & Steve Miller Launch "Splinter Universe"

2011-11-17T13:53:00.000-05:00

Sharon Lee & Steve Miller have launched Splinter Universe. As its name implies, the new venture offers readers a number of extras. These include slices of old stories that didn't make it into the original novel, or unfinished novels. Readers will also find new stories for their reading pleasure.

Here's more information:

Splinter Universe is a new short story feature site from Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. We’ll be posting stories on an irregular basis, along with teases, character sketches and perhaps the occasional cartoon. Some, even most, of the stories will be based in Sharon and Steve’s Liaden Universe®. However, the authors reserve the right to post a story set elsewhere, and to introduce new characters and situations.

Right now, there are three extras available:

"Russians in My Head," a short story by Steve Miller
"The Space at Tinsori Light" by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
The original outline of "The Space at Tinsori Light"

The stories and snippets are free, but should you feel moved to further support the authors' work, information on how to do so is listed on the site.

Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Pitch Your Erotic Science Fiction Romance to Red Sage Publishing

2011-11-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Red Sage Publishing is actively seeking erotic science fiction romance, and tomorrow you can pitch your ideas directly to editor BT Shannon. Here's the press release from Savvy Authors:

On Friday, November 18th, BT will be taking three line pitches on the Savvy Blog.

A pioneer of erotic romance, Red Sage Publishing is looking for sizzling romances and tasteful erotica. Red Sage is particularly searching for sophisticated plotlines with new twists on paranormal, sci-fi, space opera and fantasy. GLBT is also welcome.

WHEN: Nov 18, 2011 9:00 AM EST - Nov 18, 2011 11:00 PM EST

COST: FREE for ALL PREMIUM Members!
$0 for Basic Members

REGISTRATION: This event does not require registration.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

The “Female Gaze” in Science Fiction Romance

2011-11-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

I’ve been following some of the recent discussions about the “male gaze” in SF/F, starting with Sherwood Smith’s “Women’s” and “Men’s” Fantasy article at Book View Café and continuing with Kat Howard’s Putting Women in the Story. The most recent one I read is Kate Elliott’s piece on Women and Fantasy.

From Ms. Smith’s article:

…the male gaze is still the default cultural point of view. That means, whenever men look at is important, from persons to politics to entertainment. It is important for everybody. Whatever women look at is for women, of lesser significance.

There’s a lot of relevance for science fiction romance in this discussion since SFR is a subgenre that, in part, attempts to correct the imbalance of male-dominated science fiction, both in terms of content and authorship. The subgenre strives to make the female gaze more visible and also give it a stronger voice.

The challenge, of course, is battling that “default cultural point of view.” Can science fiction romance ever break out of the niche if the books written by women authors and featuring female-centered issues are deemed of “lesser significance”?

While reading the articles, I started doing some reflecting. I grew up steeped in “male gaze”—or more accurately, “male field of interest”—SF stories, but even as I surrounded myself with science fiction fare, I realized something was missing, and that was the female gaze/field of interest. I craved stories that were more character-driven and incorporated romance. In short, stories with issues/perspectives that spoke to me as a woman.

However, the issue goes beyond story—it’s about female field of interest tales being perceived as having value by general society. In other words, the ideal would be to reach a point where SF with romance is viewed as just as important as idea-driven SF.

What would be the proof that such value had been achieved? Well, female authors getting reviewed as often as male authors, for one thing:

What this means, surely, is that VISIBILITY is the first obstacle or, if we combine visibility with Loyal’s statement about flaws and importance, it may be suggested that male writers are routinely judged to be more worthy of reviewing OR they may simply be the ones who are noticed and picked up to be reviewed while others are ignored, dismissed, or never seen at all.

Obviously many writers, both male and female, do not get the visibility we would wish for them to have. I note also that there are now a huge number of book blogs that specifically target the Young Adult, Romance, and Urban Fantasy/Paranormal readers, often read and written by women. I think it is not a coincidence that these genres have strong sales by taking women seriously and granting them importance as readers, as writers, and as characters. At the same time I see admiration for the books and sales numbers, I do also sometimes see a fair bit of hostility directed at these genres from outside.

(Via Kate Elliott's article)

One aspect I appreciate so very much about sci-fi romance is that many if not most (all?!) of the stories in the subgenre offer elements that fall under the female field of interest umbrella. Often it’s the romance, but frequently stories deliver heroines that are strong (i.e., physically, emotionally), smart, and empowering. Sometimes it’s the technology that levels the playing field between genders (of all types).

One of my favorites is the concept of a hero and heroine uniting to save the day, as opposed to the idea of a single hero hogging all the glory. Unfortunately, the idea of an equal, two-person team conquering the odds and falling in love along the way is still very much an alternative way of approaching the hero’s journey in non-romantic SF.

Anyway, I’d love to hear your thoughts about the female field of interest in science fiction romance. What does it mean to you? What are some practical steps we can take to promote its value?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

An Interview With Calista Taylor, Author of VIRIDIS

2011-11-13T18:00:00.002-05:00

I have another steampunk romance to tell you about: Calista Taylor’s self-published VIRIDIS is a romantic steampunk mystery. Here’s the blurb:

In steampunk Victorian London, where airships dot the sky and tinkerings abound, Lady Phoebe Hughes develops an herbal elixir, Viridis, unlike any other. London’s elite flock to her club to experience the euphoria and heightened senses the drink brings, an orgasm brought on by a single kiss. But when Lord Hawthorne is murdered after leaving her club, Phoebe is shocked to find that not only was he working for the Special Services to infiltrate the Cause, a movement fighting for the city's poor, he was also in possession of her secret formulation for Viridis.

Adding to her difficulties is the unexpected return of Mr. Seth Elliott, a brilliant tinkerer who stole her heart and imagination, only to abandon her when she needed him most. Unable to ignore all that is between them, Phoebe finds herself falling for Seth once again, only to have a powerful rival for her affections wrongly accuse Seth of attempted murder. As Phoebe struggles with a way to free her love, revolution, conspiracy and murder threaten to ruin it all.

One thing I love about steampunk/steampunk romance is that there’s often an opportunity to feature heroines with jobs, whether legal or risqué. VIRIDIS’ Phoebe Huges is an alchemist, complete with a sophisticated lab where she experiments with the titular elixir Viridis (and the cool steampunk tech that such a lab promises). She also runs an elite club frequented by the rich, who flock there to experience the euphoric effects of her intoxicating concoction.

VIRIDIS also features a romance about reunited lovers. The romance is present and has an HEA, but isn’t a central component. Pheobe and Seth Elliot have separate goals, and the ambition they each had for their respective careers drove them apart prior to the start of the story.

Seth is what’s known as a tinkerer. From what I gathered, tinkerers are steampunk inventors. Tinkers like Seth are part of an organization known as the “Cause.” Their goal is to create devices that will improve the quality of life for England’s citizens.

VIRIDIS also features an ensemble cast of characters. Inspector William Thomas ties them all together as he seeks to unravel the mystery behind a young nobleman’s murder, one who was last seen at Pheobe’s club.

The story has erotic elements, but they aren’t as pronounced as I expected, especially given that Viridis enhances the senses (making the slightest touch orgasmic, for example). Most of the story focuses on solving the mystery.

The plot’s conflict and suspense weren’t at the level I would have liked, but your mileage may vary, especially if you’re not in the mood for anything too intense. While VIRIDIS doesn’t deliver quite the same punch as, say, George Mann’s THE AFFINITY BRIDGE, it’s in the same category of steampunk mystery stories and delivers far more romance.

Calista Taylor kindly agreed to an interview so we could learn more about the book. Got your goggles on? Then ready, set, go!

The Galaxy Express: Where did the idea for Viridis—the drug—come from? Does the name itself have any kind of special origin?

Calista Taylor: Though I primarily read mysteries, I also like steamy romances, and thought an herbal elixir that heightened one’s senses could be fun. As for the name, I wanted something Latin in origin or Latin sounding. Since the herbal is green in color, I decided to use the Latin root for green.

TGE: Pheobe and Seth have commitment issues to work out over the course of the story. What appealed to you about the reunited lovers dynamic?

CT: I like the depth that an existing relationship brings to the story. VIRIDIS has some dark elements, and I felt that a shiny new relationship when everything still feels perfect wouldn’t work as well.

TGE: What kind of steampunk tone/themes can readers expect from VIRIDIS?

CT: I’ll admit that as far as steampunk goes, the emphasis is on the storylines and relationships, rather than the world building. With that said, I think Phoebe’s tinkering of herbals is something we haven’t seen much of in steampunk.

TGE: Without going into spoilers, what kind of gadgets/devices can readers look forward to in the story?

CT: Of course, I had to have an airship and a sexy airship captain, but there are also aethergrams, portable information modules, steam coaches and a variety of other interesting gadgets.

TGE: Please describe a few of your favorite steampunk/steampunk romance stories in books, film, and/or television.

CT: I think Gail Carriger has done a great job with her world building, and I’ve also enjoyed Girl Genius. I love the recent Sherlock Holmes movies, though I wish they’d add more steampunk elements. Though not steampunk, Elizabeth Peters and Anne Perry have been a big influence in my writing.

TGE: What else can readers look forward to from you?

CT: I just released the second book in the Viridis series, Devil on a Sparrow’s Wing. Also, I have a paranormal romance based on Jack the Ripper, and a steampunk clothing craft book due out this spring.

TGE: Where can readers find you?

CT: I can be reached via my website, http://www.calistataylor.com , and my stories are available through most major ebook distributors (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords, etc.).

Ms. Taylor, thanks for your time, and for your art.

***

In related news, DEVIL ON A SPARROW'S WING, the second book in the Viridis series, is now available. Click here to read the blurb.

That's not all, my astute passengers: You can download a free ebook copy of VIRIDIS at Amazon.

Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Winner of Karalynn Lee's SLIP POINT

2011-11-12T20:08:00.000-05:00

The random number generator has crunched the numbers, and the winner of SLIP POINT by Karalynn Lee is...

A.R. Norris!

Congratulations! To claim your prize, please email me at sfrgalaxy "at" gmail.com (Subject line: Slip Point) and I'll forward your contact information to the author.

Thanks again to everyone who entered!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Forthcoming Steampunk Romance: THE IRON HEART by Leslie Dicken

2011-11-11T19:00:00.022-05:00

Cover design by Kanaxa

Back in May 2011, Leslie Dicken (THE PRICE OF DISCOVERY) shared the news about THE IRON HEART, her forthcoming steampunk romance from Samhain Publishing. (I predict that this won’t be the last steampunk romance with “Iron” in the title, heh heh).

We now have news of a release date and cover! THE IRON HEART will go on sale February 14, 2012 (Valentine’s Day!). And as you can see, the lovely cover is on display right here.

Here’s the blurb, courtesy of the author’s Web site:

One woman swears to avenge the savagery of a ruthless killer loose on the streets of Lundun; if only she can stay one step ahead of an inventor who fears his greatest work, a labor of love, has turned on humanity.

Grieving the loss of her beloved cousin, Ella Wilder is determined to catch the murderer. Infuriated by the fumblings of the constable, she seeks the assistance of a handsome Noble who seems to be looking for his own answers, and who’s reluctance tells her he has something to hide. Over time, hesitant intimacy grows into fiery passion but brings them no closer to finding the madman.

As the killer reveals darker inventions that blur the boundary between man and machine, Ella fights the fear he may be after her next. Can Ella trust her heart to the man who refuses to share his secrets yet swears to protect her? Will Bennett be able to choose between keeping terrifying family secrets…or losing Ella to the iron-hearted killer who stalks the night?

Sounds intriguing! To learn more about Leslie Dicken and her work, visit her guest blog post at Steamed! titled Why I Write Steampunk.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Two Sci-Fi Romances From Ilona Andrews

2011-11-10T18:00:00.001-05:00

Ilona Andrews (who writes urban fantasy as Kate Daniels) has two science fiction romance stories out that are set in her “World of Kinsmen” series (scroll down). The first is “Silent Blade” and the second is SILVER SHARK.

News like this sometimes takes me by surprise, mainly because of the fact that since sci-fi romance is still so niche, I don't often think to check the blogs of mainstream print authors to see if they have released any books in the subgenre.

Perhaps now that will start to change with the advent of ebooks and all the advantages that digital publishing has to offer. Maybe more big-name authors will take a chance with science fiction romance, which in turn can help raise the visibility of authors who are already deep in the niche trenches.

Ilona Andrews's stories take place in a futuristic setting, although you might also find them tagged as urban fantasy and paranormal romance. (Maybe it's time to change the name of SFR to urban fantasy? Hyuk!)

Here's the lowdown:

“Silent Blade,” a short story, was released as an ebook through Samhain Publishing in 2009. Here’s the story description:

Old hatreds die hard. Old love dies harder.

On Meli Galdes’ home planet, the struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport—in business and on the battlefield. For years her lethal skills have been a valuable asset in advancing her family’s interests. She’s more than earned her right to retire, but her kinsmen have one last favor to ask.

Kill the man who ruined her life.

Celino Carvanna’s razor-sharp business acumen—and skills with a blade—won him the freedom to do as he pleases. There’s only one thing he can’t seem to control—his reaction to the mysterious woman who tantalizes his senses. Her eyes alone set his blood simmering, stirring ridiculous adolescent fantasies about breasts and honey. With a few words she dissects his soul. Who is she? And how does she slide so easily under his well-guarded skin?

It’s almost too easy to draw Celino within the kill zone. Meli plans to revel in him. Drink him in. Wring every drop of pleasure out of every moment.

And when she’s sure he belongs to her, she will finally repay a decade’s worth of pain—in a single, brutal dose of reality.

Click here to read the excerpt.

SILVER SHARK, a novella, is the second book in the Kinsmen series. Ilona Andrews self-published this one in September 2011. Here’s the description:

Claire Shannon is a Kinsman, a woman gifted with enhanced mental capabilities. Her skills and her life were taken over by the military to fight in war that has raged on her home planet for decades. But as the war ends, she is forced to hide her abilities in order to make a new life for herself as a civilian. It’s a new persona, a new planet and new job that has her crossing paths with the powerful and alluring Venturo Escana. Is she strong enough to hide her true nature from her perceptive new boss? And as they grow closer, will she even still want to try?

Click here to read the excerpt.

Okay, so I cheated: I peeked at one Amazon review by Kindle-aholic, and found some helpful, non-spoiler information about the SF and romance elements in SILVER SHARK:

For the sci fi fan, there are biologically enhanced psychic warriors (called psychers), bionet computers that psychers jack into and interact with, and the issues of refugees from one planet trying to assimilate to life on a new one. You also have a planet that while beautiful to look at, is ruled by mafia-type families whose feuding often leads to bloodshed. Only the strong survive and thrive here. I really liked the bionet scenes, there was a lot of action and imagery.

For the romance fan you have a smolderingly hot male lead, Ven, who can't seem to find the right girl to settle down with. You also have Claire, the ultra powerful psycher from a war-torn planet who must pretend to be normal to have a chance at a new life on a world that appears to be a paradise compared to her home.

From what little I gleamed (since I’ve been trying to avoid spoilers), these stories fall on the steamy side of the heat level fence.

Ilona Andrews isn't the first mainstream print paranormal romance/urban fantasy author to dabble in sci-fi romance early/earlier in her career. Let's start a list. I'll kick it off with Sherrilyn Kenyon (BORN OF NIGHT). Who would you like to add?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Forthcoming Sci-Fi Romance: CLASH by Yolanda Sfetsos

2011-11-09T18:00:00.004-05:00

Yolanda Sfetsos (ALEX WALES: PROMISE) is the author of CLASH, a forthcoming science fiction romance from Samhain Publishing. The release date is January 24, 2012. You can read an excerpt here.

And now for the blurb:

When revenge, secrets and lust collide, there can only be chaos.

Recast, Book 2

Jenks Maine is dead, but the devastating effects forcing Recast to fight in the arena goes on. Half-Recast Ace Abu is determined to put a stop to it. All he needs is to get to the planet Fray, locate the concealed Clash Arena, and destroy it. But first he has to cross half the galaxy before the sound and smell of his partners’ nonstop lovemaking drives him mad.

By the time he parks himself on a barstool in the town of Grit, he’s more than ready for a few beers. Except the sexy singer on stage is only making him—and his inner beast—burn hotter.

Ely’Shea longs for the freedom Jenks stole from her. She’s his right-hand woman, but when the boss is away she steps out of her enforcer role and ducks into a remote bar to indulge her passion: singing onstage. The night she catches a glimpse of an alluring cowboy in the audience, he ignites a spark inside her she never thought she’d feel again.

Unable to resist temptation, they’re consumed by passion…but once the fuses are set, their deepest personal secrets could blow any chance of forever all to hell.

Product Warnings

This book contains a very lonely shapeshifter in need of some loving, a kick-ass singer leading a double life, a serious case of mutual lust, an arena filled with enslaved warriors, and so many secrets it can only end in total madness.

You can read the author's announcement post for CLASH here. To learn more about Yolanda Sfetsos and her work, check out my interview with her.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Character-Driven Science Fiction Discussion At SF Signal

2011-11-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

Because science fiction romance is heavily character-driven, I thought you might be interested in checking out this week's Mind Meld at SF Signal: You Gotta Have Character: Character-Driven Science Fiction Stories With Plenty of Sense of Wonder.

Participants include Lyda Morehouse, Helen Lowe, Lynne Thomas, Judith Tarr, Daniel Abraham, and yours truly.

Happy reading!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Could Digitally Illustrated Covers Give Sci-Fi Romance A Boost?

2011-11-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Cover art by Roberto Quintero

The other day, the subject of book covers came up during a conversation I was having with a fellow science fiction romance blogger. We were discussing the importance of covers as a marketing tool, specifically their role in helping to attract readers to the sci-fi romance subgenre.

Around that same time, while visiting the blog of Mrs. Giggles, I came across the cover of a book called FIRST WATCH by Peter Hansen. FIRST WATCH, which strikes me as a Lovecraftian/hentai, m/m horror romance, is one of the launch titles of the new epub Riptide Publishing.

I really like the cover of FIRST WATCH, not necessarily because of the content (which, I must confess, intrigues me) but because of the quality of the illustrated image. That cover style reminded me of another ebook cover that holds a strong appeal for me: SKY RAT by Angelia Sparrow. SKY RAT was released by Pink Petal Books.

Given the existence of these two covers, I started wondering why we aren’t seeing more digitally illustrated covers for science fiction romance books. I realize that some already exist, but from what I've seen, most are plagued by poor quality. However, the covers for SKY RAT and FIRST WATCH make me wonder if better cover artists/designers are coming onto the scene, and if so, could they be tapped for sci-fi romance ebook covers (mainstream print books are a whole other animal)?

A big advantage of a quality digitally illustrated cover is that the cover could be more closely tailored to the story’s content (e.g., it could depict the physical details of alien heroes and heroines, or include tech/outfits that are unique to the story). The fantastical elements in SFR often lend themselves to the visual medium.

While digital illustrations might not be the go-to style for every science fiction romance, I can see them providing a bit of flair for the subgenre in general.

Cover art by Christine M. Griffin

I’ve been impressed with the increase in quality of SFR ebook covers, but given their importance as marketing tools, I still would like to see publishers experiment with them more often. A few buzz-worthy covers might boost sales for those specific titles and increase visibility for the subgenre.

I guess I’m just not convinced that simply because one is offering an inexpensive ebook, then covers don’t matter.

Has the cost of a digitally illustrated cover been an issue? I’ll admit I was curious as to how Pink Petal Books and Riptide were able to afford the above covers when other, bigger/more established epubs don’t use them (even just occasionally, from what I’ve seen). But do they cost that much more than a cover created with stock images?

Some covers are going to cost more simply because the designer has extensive experience. But if the cost between a digitally illustrated cover and one created with stock images is equal, is there a compelling reason to avoid the digitally illustrated one?

In the interest of education and enlightenment, I’d like to throw out a few questions here:

Do epublishers have any plans to experiment with digitally illustrated covers for science fiction romances?

Assuming the quality is good, is there a compelling reason, in general, to avoid them?

Despite the importance of covers as a marketing tool, are stock image covers an easy way for epublishers to control costs?

Are there any cover designers out there who can weigh in on the pros and cons of digitally illustrated covers for SFR, and/or the reasons we don’t encounter them very often?

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Interview With SLIP POINT Author Karalynn Lee & A Giveaway

2011-11-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

*Heroine space pirate alert*!

Yes, can you believe how lucky we are? A new science fiction romance release, Karalynn Lee’s SLIP POINT (Carina Press), features a heroine who’s a space pirate. Seems like it was only a year ago that I blogged about my love of space pirates—oh, wait a minute, it was a year ago. But I have a particular soft spot for heroine space pirates, and so I was excited to learn about SLIP POINT, which releases November 7!

Author Karalynn Lee kindly agreed to an interview so we could learn more about her book. Plus, one lucky passenger will be picked at random to receive a free digital copy of her book! Details follow the interview.

First, here’s the story blurb:

From childhood, Shay had one dream--to join the Space Corps with her best friend and sweetheart, Jayce. When the Space Corps reveals that the father she thought was dead is actually an infamous pirate and rejects her application, the dream dies and she leaves the planet without saying a word to Jayce.

Ten years later, Shay is a pirate herself. She captains her own ship and has earned a reputation as one of the slipperiest pilots around. That's why she's recruited for a dangerous secret government mission. But the cargo she's assigned to smuggle turns out to be a woman with a government bodyguard--Jayce.

Jayce never thought he'd see Shay again, and when the mission forces them together on her ship, he isn't sure he can forgive her for deserting him; but their desire for each other is stronger than ever. Jayce knows he wants to be with Shay, but how can he trust a woman who's both a pirate and the girl who broke his heart?

Now, on to the space swashbuckling interview!

The Galaxy Express: Tell us about SLIP POINT in the form of one or two-word tags.

Karalynn Lee: Space pirates, reunited lovers, infiltration, diplomacy.

TGE: You’re an author of two fantasy romances, DEMON’S FALL and SUMMER-SET. What inspired you to write a science fiction romance this time around?

KL: I suspect that most writers write what they'd like to read more of, and I'm no exception -- I grew up reading both fantasy and science fiction and excavating whatever romantic elements I could find in them. What scared me about writing science fiction was the need to actually integrate science fact (or at least convincing science fakery), and with an astrophysicist brother-in-law, I don't get a lot of slack. I finally got around it by taking a hard look at a lot of space operas I enjoy and realizing that they contain just as much hand-waving and fantastical elements as fantasy.

TGE: Okay, so you had me at “Shay is a pirate.” Who are your favorite space pirates from either books, films, or television shows?

KL: I'm a big fan of the crew in Firefly, flitting as they do around the edges of the Alliance and somehow building a family out of it. I love that they undertake scurrilous tasks and yet you can't help but root for them. And they fit right into the grittiness of their world; I was won over by the way Mal dealt with Crow in "The Train Job."

TGE: What makes Shay different from her predecessors?

The problem with most space pirates is that, quite realistically, they tend to be the bad guys -- pretty nasty bad guys, at that. You get to see Shay before she becomes one, which I think softens her in the reader's perception. She's practical enough to make it as a pirate, but she loves the freedom of having her own ship more than anything, and she eventually realizes that she doesn't have to terrorize other people in order to have that. She has principles and sticks to them, leaving the more distasteful runs to her father, but it's implied that she had to exhibit her share of ruthlessness in order to win that privilege.

TGE: I’m traveling to Shay and Jayce’s universe next week. Do you have any travel tips for me?

KL: Want to visit a bustling space station? Stick to the Hub worlds, where nearby slip points mean there's a constant influx of travelers and technology. You're only limited to what your credits can buy.

If you want something quieter or maybe out from under the eye of the law, head on out to the Rim colonies, where people are roughing it and a spaceship sighting might be the big event of the year. (Tourists are responsible for ensuring they re-board ships before departure time.)

TGE: What can readers expect from the heat level in SLIP POINT?

KL: You'll find a couple of sex scenes in moderate detail, but nothing unfamiliar to a regular romance reader. After all, if you throw together two ex's and a strong dash of adrenaline, what else is going to happen?

TGE: What can readers look forward to from you?

KL: My next big project is actually a story told in Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style -- fairytale-based fantasy, I'm afraid. But I do occasionally post some shortpieces on my website, and I'm planning to add more science fiction stories there. And someday I'd love to tackle a post-apocalyptic or cyberpunk setting.

Ms. Lee, thank you for your time, and for your art.

Here are the giveaway details, as promised. Leave a comment and be entered for a chance to win a digital copy of Karalynn Lee’s sci-fi romance SLIP POINT. Available formats: PDF; ePub.

Aye, the deadline to enter is 12 midnight, EST, on Friday, November 11, 2011.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Call For Submissions: Total-E-Bound Seeks Erotic Steampunk/Steampunk Romance

2011-11-06T06:56:00.000-05:00

I just ran across this post at All About Romance: Total-E-Bound is seeking erotic steampunk/steampunk romance submissions:

Total-E-Bound Publishing, a leading Erotic Romance Publisher, is now accepting submissions between 10,000 words and 100,000+ words in the steampunk genre:

Steamy stories set in a might-have-been world of clockwork technology. Join naughty neo-Victorians—from mad scientists to erotic automata—in their inventive adventures.

I couldn’t find the same information in the publisher’s submission guidelines, but maybe they just haven’t updated it yet.

Happy writing!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Reading Reality Launches “Ebook Review Central”

2011-11-04T17:00:00.001-04:00

With so many ebooks available these days, readers often face the challenge of wading through numerous sites to discover the ones that are right for them. But what if you’re a busy librarian whose time and budget are at a premium?

The answer might be closer than you think:

At Reading Reality, Marlene Harris has launched Ebook Review Central:

Every Monday, Ebook Review Central will publish a list of all the ebooks published by a particular publisher the previous month, with links to all the published reviews.

Her goal is to provide a centralized review source of buzz-worthy titles, not only for readers, but also for those awesomesauce heroes known as librarians:

Also, I’m a librarian by training. Librarians need a place where they can find reviews of ebooks, just like they do print books. Their budgets are tight. They want to add ebooks from ebook-only publishers, but if they can only buy 3 or 5 Carina Press titles this month and 3 or 5 Dreamspinner titles this month, there is no place to go to find which ones were the best. Ebook Review Central will be that place.

Marlene Harris has a soft spot for science fiction romance and other genre fiction, so she’d love to hear from publishers and authors in these genres about reviews she can link to, especially ones outside of the Amazon and Goodreads juggernauts.

Here’s a link to a list of Ebook Review Central posts she’s done so far. To learn more about Marlene Harris, including her contact information, visit her bio page.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Breaking News: Joely Sue Burkhart's LADY DOCTOR WYRE Finals in the 2011 Reviewers' Choice Awards

2011-11-04T10:34:00.000-04:00

This just in: RT Book Reviews recently posted the list of nominees from the Reviewers' Choice Best Book Awards. Among them, in the "Best Paranormal/Fantasy/Science Fiction Erotic Romance" category, is Joely Sue Burkhart for LADY DOCTOR WYRE (Samhain Publishing)!

Way to go, Ms. Burkhart!

You can read the author's announcement post here.

Joyfully yours,

Heather